How to write a headline: AP rules, formulas and testing with AI

This guide is part of our AP style guide series. AP style is the set of writing and editing rules published by The Associated Press in the AP Stylebook, the standard reference for U.S. news writing. A headline is a claim too, so this guide treats accuracy as the first rule, ahead of clicks. All example headlines are about fictional events.

The 5 parts of a strong news headline

A headline that has all five reads like a one-line news story. If you can't write it, the lead may not be clear yet.

AP headline rules

AP style for headlines differs from AP style for body text. The rules most newsrooms apply:

Headline capitalization in AP style: the first word and proper nouns only, so "Council," "Bill" and "Lanes" stay lowercase unless they're part of a name. A colon in a headline is usually followed by a capital letter. If your site uses title case, that is a house-style choice, not AP.

10 headline formulas with news examples

Each formula has a use, a pattern and a fictional example.

Two formulas to use with care:

• Question headlines ("Is your water safe?") work for explainers but often promise more than the story delivers. If the answer is "no" or "we don't know," say so in the headline.
• "Could" and "may" headlines ("Plan could raise taxes") are fine only when the story says how likely it is and who says so.

SEO headlines vs. print headlines

On the web, a story usually has two headlines: the one on the page (the H1) and the title tag that search engines and social sites show. They can differ.

What Google says about titles, from its Search Central documentation:

• There is no limit on how long a <title> element can be, but Google truncates title links as needed, usually to fit the device width.
• Write titles that are descriptive and concise; avoid vague ones such as "Home."
• Don't keyword-stuff, and don't repeat boilerplate across pages.
• Google may build the title link from other sources, including the page's main visible title and <h1>, so keep the H1 and title tag consistent.

A practical rule: front-load the key words, keep the title tag to about 60 characters so it isn't cut off on most screens, and never let the SEO version claim more than the story.

Print: Trouble on the tracks Web H1: Transit board drops 6 bus routes on Dayton's east side Title tag: Dayton bus route cuts: 6 east side routes end Jan. 5

Generating headlines with AI

Any AI chatbot can act as a headline generator. The risk is that it writes a better-sounding headline than the story can support. Use AI for options, then check them.

Prompt 1: generate options

You are a news copy editor. Write 10 headlines for the story below.

Rules:
- AP style: sentence case, figures for all numbers, single quotes,
  present tense for past events, "to" + verb for future events, no period.
- 8 to 12 words each; 3 of them under 60 characters for a title tag.
- Use only facts that appear in the story. No facts from outside it.
- Keep every hedge in the story ("study finds," "police said," "could").
- No puns, no questions, no "slams," "blasts" or "shocking."
- Mix formulas: straight news, number first, attributed claim, what it means.

After the list, mark the 2 you think are strongest and say why in one line each.

Story:
[PASTE THE LEAD AND THE FIRST 5 PARAGRAPHS]

Prompt 2: check a headline against the story

Check this headline against the story below. For each word or phrase in the
headline that states a fact, quote the sentence in the story that supports
it. If no sentence supports it, or the headline is stronger than the story
(certainty, cause, size, timing), flag it and suggest a fix.

Headline: [PASTE]
Story: [PASTE]

Run Prompt 2 on every AI-written headline and on your own. The common failures: a hedge dropped ("may reduce" becomes "reduces"), a number rounded up, a cause added that the story doesn't establish, or an attribution removed.

Misleading headlines and how editors catch them

A misleading headline is one where a reader who sees only the headline comes away believing something the story doesn't say. Many readers see only the headline, in a feed or a search result, so it carries the same duty of accuracy as the lead.

The patterns editors watch for:

The editor's check, before any headline goes live:

1. Read the headline, then the lead. Does the lead prove every fact in the headline?
2. Is every number in the headline in the story, with its base?
3. Does the headline keep the story's attribution and hedges?
4. Would the person named in the headline say it describes the story fairly?
5. Does the SEO title tag pass the same four checks?

A/B testing headlines

An A/B test shows different headlines for the same story to random groups of readers and compares how each performs. Many news sites and content platforms test headlines this way.

The largest public record of these tests is the Upworthy Research Archive, published in the journal Scientific Data in 2021. It holds 32,487 experiments that Upworthy ran between January 2013 and April 2015, each testing different headline and image "packages" on real readers. If you want to study what actually changed click rates, it's a good place to start.

How to run a fair test:

• Test one thing at a time: the verb, the number, the order of words. Two versions that differ in five ways teach you nothing.
• Write every version to pass the accuracy check first. Don't test a misleading headline against an accurate one: the misleading one may win clicks and lose trust.
• Wait for enough readers. Small samples swing on chance; use your testing tool's significance reading, not the first hour's numbers.
• Measure more than clicks. Look at time on page or scroll depth. A headline that wins clicks and loses readers in five seconds is a bad headline.
• Keep a log of tests and results so the desk learns patterns over time.

Writing headlines in WriteOrbit

WriteOrbit has no headline generator or headline-testing tool. What it gives you is the story and the AI next to each other, which is what Prompt 2 needs:

1. Write or open the story in the editor (paste it, or open a .docx).
2. Ask the AI chat beside the draft for 10 headlines using Prompt 1. It reads the document, so you don't paste the story into a separate tool.
3. Check the winner against the story with Prompt 2 in the same chat.
4. Run the AI review's claim check on the draft, headline included, to flag statements that need a source.
5. Send it to your editor with comments or suggestions (tracked changes), so they can change the headline and leave a note on why.

The free plan includes a few AI chat messages a day; see pricing for current limits.

FAQ

How long should a headline be?

Long enough to state the news, short enough to fit. Print headlines are counted to fit the column. For search, Google sets no length limit on titles but cuts them to fit the screen, so put the key words first. Many editors aim for roughly 6 to 12 words, or about 60 characters for a title tag, as a rule of thumb.

Are headlines capitalized in AP style?

Only the first word and proper nouns. AP-style news headlines use sentence case: "City council approves $4 million budget for parks," not "City Council Approves $4 Million Budget for Parks." Titles of works inside a headline keep their own capitals. Many websites use title case anyway as a house style; follow your publication.

Do AP headlines use numerals?

Yes. AP-style headlines use figures for numbers, including numbers under 10 that body text would spell out: "3 hurt in highway crash," not "Three hurt in highway crash." They also use single quotation marks instead of double, and no period at the end.

Is there a free AI headline generator?

Any general AI chatbot works as a free headline generator if you give it the story and clear rules. Paste the lead and key facts, ask for 10 headlines in AP style under a set length, then check each one against the story. The prompts on this page do that, including a check for claims the story doesn't support.

How do you write a press release headline?

Write it the way a reporter would headline the story: the organization, a strong verb and the news, in present tense, with a specific number if you have one. "Riverbend Clinic opens 24-hour urgent care in Dayton" beats "Riverbend Clinic Announces Exciting New Expansion." Avoid superlatives the release can't back up.

Next step

A headline is only as clear as the lead under it. Learn to write the lead and order the facts with the inverted pyramid, and if you're writing for journalists rather than readers, see how to write a press release in AP style. For the rest of AP's rules, go back to the AP style guide.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Influencing your title links in search results": https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/title-link
2. J. Nathan Matias, Kevin Munger, Marianne Aubin Le Quere and Charles Ebersole, "The Upworthy Research Archive, a time series of 32,487 experiments in U.S. media," Scientific Data (2021): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8329003
3. The Upworthy Research Archive, project site: https://upworthy.natematias.com/
4. The Associated Press, AP Stylebook: https://www.apstylebook.com/
5. Writing Explained, "AP Style Headlines": https://writingexplained.org/ap-style/ap-style-headlines
6. Kennesaw State University Writing Center, "AP General Rules" (PDF): https://kennesaw.edu/writing-center/resources/docs/style-specific/ap-general-rules.pdf
7. Poynter, "AP says the percentage sign is now OK when used with a numeral" (2019): https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2019/ap-says-the-percentage-sign-now-ok-when-used-with-a-numeral-thats-shift5/