Headline Analyzer
Type a headline, press Analyze, and get a score out of 100 with seven factors you can read one by one: character length, word count, power words, emotional words, a number, question form and clarity. The score comes from fixed rules drawn from common copywriting advice — it is not measured click data — so use it to compare your own drafts, not to predict performance. Free, no sign-up, and nothing is uploaded.
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How to Use the Headline Analyzer
- Type or paste one headline. Below the box a live count shows its characters and words.
- Press Analyze. The score does not update as you type; press the button again after each edit.
- Read the verdict. 75 and above is Strong headline, 50 to 74 is Decent — room to improve, and below 50 is Needs work.
- Open the factor breakdown. Each of the seven factors shows the points earned out of its maximum and one line of advice. Fix the biggest gap first, then analyze again.
How the 100 Points Are Scored
| Factor | Points | How it scores |
|---|---|---|
| Character length | 20 | 50–60 characters: 20. 40–49 or 61–70: 14. Longer than 70 or shorter than 40: 6. |
| Word count | 20 | 6–12 words: 20. 4–5 or 13–15: 13. Fewer than 4 or more than 15: 5. |
| Power words | 15 | Two or more from a list of 60 (proven, essential, free, guide, tips, ways…): 15. One: 10. None: 0. |
| Emotional words | 15 | One or more from a list of 50 (surprising, shocking, inspiring, epic…): 15. None: 0. |
| Number | 10 | Any digit in the headline: 10. None: 0. |
| Question form | 5 | Ends with a question mark: 5. Otherwise: 2. |
| Clarity | 15 | 15 by default; 6 if any word of four or more letters appears three times; 3 if the headline is all capitals. |
Word lists match whole words in any capitalisation, and a hyphenated word counts as one (step-by-step is in the power list). Words in other languages count toward length and word count, but the power and emotional lists are English. That is the entire model: it has no knowledge of your topic, audience or platform.
Where These Rules Come From, and Where They Stop
The thresholds reflect common copywriting advice rather than a study of clicks. Around 50–60 characters is a rule of thumb for headlines used as search-result titles, because Google truncates by pixel width, not by a fixed character count, and a long headline may be cut. Numbers, questions and emotional words are widely believed to attract attention, but how much they help differs by audience and platform. The only way to know is to test two versions with real readers.
Not for research-paper titles
APA-style and other scholarly titles should be focused, succinct and clear on their own, which these rules do not reward. “How Sleep Affects Memory in College Students” scores 51 here; “7 Surprising Ways Sleep Improves Memory in College Students” scores 92 — and promises more than a study can. For a scholarly title use the Essay Title Generator and format it with the Title Case Converter.
Worked Example
The placeholder headline in the tool’s box, 7 Proven Ways to Write Headlines People Actually Click, has 54 characters and 9 words and scores 82:
| Factor | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Character length | 54 | 20 of 20 |
| Word count | 9 | 20 of 20 |
| Power words | Proven, Ways (2) | 15 of 15 |
| Emotional words | none | 0 of 15 |
| Number | 7 | 10 of 10 |
| Question form | statement | 2 of 5 |
| Clarity | no repeats, normal case | 15 of 15 |
The only room for improvement is the emotional factor, and that is a choice: adding Surprising would lift it by 15 points but should be done only if it is true of the content. A bare two-word headline such as Headline Writing scores 28.
Which Tool Do You Need?
| If you want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Score a headline for a blog, newsletter or article | This Headline Analyzer |
| Generate title ideas for an essay or paper | Essay Title Generator |
| Apply title case or sentence case correctly | Title Case Converter |
| Check length limits for titles and descriptions | Character Counter |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is the headline score calculated?
- The 100 points come from seven fixed rules: character length (20), word count (20), power words (15), emotional words (15), a number (10), question form (5) and clarity (15). It is a rule-based heuristic, not a prediction.
- What is the ideal headline length?
- Around 50–60 characters and 6–12 words earn the full points. That fits most search-result titles without truncation, but Google truncates by pixel width, so treat it as a guide.
- What are power words and emotional words?
- Power words signal value or urgency (proven, essential, free, tips). Emotional words trigger a feeling or curiosity (surprising, inspiring, shocking). The tool checks fixed English lists of 60 and 50 words. Use them only where they are accurate.
- Does a high score guarantee more clicks?
- No. The score is not based on click data. Audience, topic, platform and timing matter more, so test important headlines against each other.
- Why does a good academic title score low?
- Because the rules reward marketing devices — numbers, emotion, power words — that scholarly titles avoid. Use this tool for blog and article headlines, not research titles.
- Why isn’t the score live?
- The tool scores when you press Analyze. After each edit, press the button again to refresh the breakdown.
- Is my headline sent to a server?
- No. The scoring runs in your browser.