Headline Formulas and AI Headline Prompts
A good headline tells the right reader exactly what they will get. Below are 12 reliable headline formulas with real-world-style examples, practical length guidance, and prompts you can paste into an AI assistant to generate dozens of options in seconds.
Want instant options without an AI account? Use our free Headline Generator — it applies these formulas to your topic in your browser.
12 headline formulas that keep working
These patterns have been used by editors and copywriters for decades because they make the benefit or the topic obvious at a glance. Use them as starting points, not fill-in-the-blank templates.
| Formula | Example | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| How to [achieve result] [without pain point] | How to Start a Vegetable Garden Without a Backyard | Tutorials and step-by-step guides |
| [Number] Ways to [achieve result] | 9 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill This Month | Tips, list posts, roundups |
| [Number] [Mistakes] [Audience] Make With [Topic] | 7 Mistakes New Bloggers Make With Keywords | Problem-aware readers |
| What Is [Topic]? [Benefit-oriented explainer] | What Is a Meta Description? (And How to Write One) | Definitions and beginner explainers |
| [Topic] vs [Topic]: Which Is Better for [Use]? | Notion vs Trello: Which Is Better for Freelancers? | Comparisons and buying decisions |
| The Complete Guide to [Topic] ([Year]) | The Complete Guide to Email Marketing (2026) | Pillar pages; update the year when you actually update the content |
| Why [Surprising claim] (and What to Do Instead) | Why Posting Every Day Isn't Helping Your Instagram | Opinion and myth-busting |
| [Do X] Like [Expert/Benchmark] | Write Product Descriptions Like a Catalogue Copywriter | Skill-building content |
| [Number] [Templates/Examples] for [Task] | 25 Out-of-Office Message Examples You Can Copy | Template and example pages |
| [Question the reader is asking]? | Can You Use AI to Write Blog Posts? | Matching search queries directly |
| [Result] in [Timeframe]: [Method] | A Cleaner Inbox in 15 Minutes: The Two-Folder Method | Quick wins; only promise a timeframe you can support |
| [Topic] for [Specific audience] | Budget Meal Prep for Night-Shift Workers | Niche targeting |
What makes these formulas work
- Specificity: "9 ways to cut your grocery bill" is more concrete than "save money on food".
- A clear reader: naming the audience ("for freelancers", "for night-shift workers") filters in the right people.
- A promise you can keep: the article has to deliver what the headline says, or readers leave and don't come back.
- Matching the search query: for SEO, using the words people actually type (check your search console data) beats clever wordplay.
How long should a headline be?
There is no single correct length, because each place a headline appears truncates it differently. Common working guidelines:
| Where it appears | Practical guideline | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Google / Bing result title | About 50–60 characters | Search engines truncate titles by pixel width (roughly 600px on desktop), and may rewrite titles they consider unhelpful. |
| Email subject line | Roughly 30–50 characters | Mobile inboxes show only the first few words; put the key information first. |
| X (Twitter) post | Well under the 280-character limit | Leave room for a link and for people to quote the post. |
| Blog H1 on the page | Whatever is clearest | The on-page H1 isn't truncated, so it can be longer and more descriptive than the title tag. |
Check a title's pixel width and preview it as a search result with our SERP Snippet Preview.
AI headline prompts
Paste these into ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini or Claude. Replace the bracketed parts.
15 headline options in three formats
Write 15 headline options for an article about [TOPIC] for [AUDIENCE]: 5 how-to, 5 numbered lists, 5 questions. Keep each under 60 characters, include "[KEYWORD]" naturally, and make sure each headline accurately describes an article that [ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY]. No clickbait.
Improve my headline
My headline is "[HEADLINE]". The article covers [SUMMARY] and targets the search query "[KEYWORD]". Give 10 stronger alternatives under 60 characters, keep the keyword near the start, and explain in one line why each is better.
Headlines for a workshop or event
Write 10 attention-grabbing but honest headlines for a [EVENT TYPE] about [SUBJECT] for [AUDIENCE], taking place [WHEN/WHERE]. Each under 70 characters. Highlight what attendees will be able to do afterwards.
A/B test pairs
Create 5 pairs of headlines for A/B testing an article about [TOPIC]. In each pair, change only one variable (number vs no number, question vs statement, benefit vs curiosity) and label which variable is being tested.
More prompts: AI writing prompts library.
Headline checklist before you publish
- Does it contain the main keyword or phrase readers use?
- Is the benefit or topic clear without reading anything else?
- Does the article fully deliver on the promise?
- Is the most important information in the first 50 characters?
- Have you removed vague words ("amazing", "ultimate") that add length but no meaning?
- Is the title tag different from other pages on your site?
FAQ
Can AI write good headlines?
AI assistants are good at producing many variations quickly, which is the hardest part of headline writing. They are less reliable at knowing what your audience actually responds to, so treat AI headlines as a shortlist and choose based on your own data.
Should headlines include numbers?
Numbers make list posts concrete and are widely used for that reason, but only use one when the article really contains that many items.
Is the H1 the same as the title tag?
Not necessarily. The title tag is what appears in search results and browser tabs; the H1 is the visible headline on the page. They are often similar, but the title tag is usually shorter.