Press release headline scorer
Six checks, scored live as you type. Length, entity placement, specificity, verb, hype and case.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type or paste is uploaded, stored or emailed — there is no server on the other end to receive it. Closing the tab discards everything.
Why the headline carries so much weight
It is the only part of your release guaranteed to be seen. It appears in search results, feed listings, email subject lines, aggregators and social previews, often with nothing else attached.
It is also the strongest single signal both editors and automated systems use to decide what a page is about. A headline that names the company and states the news with a number does that job. A headline built around an adjective does not, no matter how enthusiastic the adjective.
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Headlines are the part worth agonizing over
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Headline questions
How long should a press release headline be?
Under about twelve words, or roughly 90 characters. Longer than that and it gets truncated in search results, feed listings, email subject lines and news aggregators — which are most of the places a headline is actually read.
Should the company name go in the headline?
Yes, and early. Leading with the entity is how both editors and automated systems work out who the news is about. A clever headline that withholds the company name is a headline that gets skipped.
Do numbers help a headline?
Substantially. A specific figure is checkable, quotable and immediately concrete, where an adjective is none of those. "Adds 14 Technicians" outperforms "Announces Significant Growth" with every kind of reader.
Should I put the year in the headline?
Only when it is genuinely part of the news, such as an annual report or a dated event. Research suggests visible year signals improve citation rates for content where recency matters, but forcing a year into an announcement headline where it does not belong reads as keyword stuffing.