Name the reader’s task
Start with the action or decision the article supports. “A guide to better websites” could describe almost anything. “Check a migrated site before changing DNS” gives the reader a concrete task and a moment when the article is useful. The second title is narrower because the article needs a clear boundary.
Remove promises the draft cannot keep
Words such as best, ultimate and complete create a burden of evidence. If the article compares three options without testing every alternative, say what it actually compares. If it is a checklist, name the situation it covers. Specificity often makes a headline more persuasive than adding another superlative.
Let the introduction add information
Do not spend the first paragraph repeating the headline in longer words. State the starting situation, the result the reader can expect and any important limit. For a tutorial, identify the required material. For an opinion, make the claim visible and show how the article will examine it.
Read the title outside the page
A title can appear in a browser tab, a link list or a search result without the surrounding design. Check whether it still makes sense in those places. Keep the wording descriptive rather than relying on a pun that only becomes clear after seeing the photograph. A distinctive voice should help recognition, not hide the subject.
Use an honest before-and-after test
Write two or three alternatives and ask which one best describes the finished draft. If none does, the article may contain several competing purposes. Resolve that editorial problem before polishing the wording. Do not test titles by inventing click-through claims; use real audience evidence when it exists and editorial judgment when it does not.
Put it into practice
Everything you need to know about backups
Restore one file before trusting your backup
The revision names a task the article can actually deliver.
Sources & further reading
Examples and worksheets on this page are illustrative. Documentation links were checked in November 2026; follow the relevant product’s current instructions.