Free tool
Press Release Headline Checker.
Paste a headline. Get a pass, warn, or fail on eight checks we use on every client release. Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Try it
Paste a headline. Optional: add your company name.
OVERALL SCORE
0 / 8
Craft
How to write a headline that lands.
Reporters decide in two seconds. The headline either gives them a story or it gives them a press release. Here are the five rules we hold to.
Put a number in it.
"Fieldline raises $6M" beats "Fieldline closes significant round." Numbers are the easiest way to signal news. If you do not have a funding number, use a customer count, a percentage lift, or a count of cities.
Use an active verb.
"Raises," "hires," "adds," "cuts," "opens." Active verbs put the company in motion. "Announces" is the lazy verb. Editors strike it on sight.
Keep it under 12 words.
Long headlines are skimmed. Short headlines are read. If you cannot say it in 12 words, the angle needs more work, not more adjectives.
Skip the cliches.
Revolutionize, transform, unlock, empower, elevate. These words tell a reporter you are marketing, not reporting. Replace with the specific verb.
Consider dropping your name.
If your brand is not a household name, the headline is more compelling without it. Lead with the news. Let the first sentence introduce the company. Test both and pick the one that reads like a headline, not a press release.
Examples.
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Bad: "Fieldline Announces Exciting New AI-Powered Platform to Revolutionize HVAC"
Good: "Fieldline raises $6M to cut HVAC after-hours miss rate by 34 percent" -
Bad: "BrightSmile Dental is Transforming the Patient Experience"
Good: "BrightSmile adds 12 clinics across Texas, crosses 500,000 patients" -
Bad: "Northbeam AI Unlocks Next-Generation Infrastructure"
Good: "Northbeam AI raises Series A at $45M valuation to cut inference cost 60 percent"
FAQ
Four questions about the tool.
Does this tool send my headline anywhere?
No. The check runs in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing is sent to a server, stored, or logged. Close the tab and it is gone.
What counts as a banned PR word?
Words that signal marketing instead of news: revolutionize, transform, unlock, empower, elevate, leverage, seamless, world-class, next-generation, cutting-edge, game-changer, and disrupt. Reporters skip headlines with these.
Is a passive headline always wrong?
Not always. But active voice makes the subject the doer, which reporters prefer. If your headline scores high on passive, rewrite so the subject is the actor. "Deal was closed by Fieldline" becomes "Fieldline closed deal."
Should the headline include the company name?
Usually no. Reporters cut company names from headlines when the name is not recognizable outside your vertical. The first paragraph of the release names you. Test the headline with and without.