Say what it does in one line
Tagline grader
A tagline is the line people read before they decide to read anything else. Paste yours, and optionally a one-sentence description. The grader scores it from 0 to 100 on eight measurable criteria, shows the points for each, names the three fixes worth the most, and offers three rewrite patterns you can fill in yourself.
Scoring is plain rules running in this page. Nothing is sent to a server, nothing is stored, and no model writes or rates your line. A score is a checklist result, not a prediction of how well a tagline will perform.
Type a tagline to see its score.
How to use it
- Paste your tagline. Type or paste the line you plan to use. The score updates as you edit.
- Add a description if you have one. A one-sentence description can supply the audience or the outcome that a very short tagline leaves out.
- Read the breakdown. Each criterion shows the points it earned out of its weight, and why. Weights add up to 100.
- Apply the top fixes. Start with the three fixes listed, which are ranked by the points they could win back.
- Try a rewrite pattern. Fill in one of the three templates with your own specifics, then paste the new line to compare.
What is scored, and the weights
Eight criteria add up to 100 points. Concreteness is 28: does the line name what the product is, say who it is for, and hint at an outcome. Jargon and buzzwords is 20: the share of words that come from a list of about 70 vague terms such as revolutionary, seamless, leverage, empower, all-in-one and next-gen. Uniqueness is 15: whether the line matches one of 30 generic templates such as 'The best way to X' or 'Unlock the power of X'. Length is 12: 4 to 10 words and under 60 characters is ideal. Reading grade is 7, from the Flesch-Kincaid formula. Active voice is 5, first-person pronouns such as we and our are 5, and fit with a typical 60 character listing field is 8.
These are heuristics. The concreteness check looks for patterns such as 'for' followed by a group, or words like without, into and in five minutes, so it can miss a good line phrased unusually and can credit a weak line that happens to match. The buzzword and template lists are our judgement, not a standard. Flesch-Kincaid was designed for paragraphs, so on a four word line it is only a rough signal. The 60 character figure is a typical limit, and each listing form sets its own, so check the field you are filling.
The rewrite patterns are fixed templates chosen by which criteria scored lowest. They are not generated text. A high score means the line avoids common problems. Only your customers can tell you whether it works, so test the line with the people you want to reach.
Questions
What makes a good product tagline?
It says what the product is and who it is for or what result they get, in plain words, in about four to ten words. It avoids vague claims anyone could make about any product.
Why is a short tagline sometimes marked down?
Under four words there is rarely room to say both what it is and who it is for, so the length and concreteness checks tend to lose points. A short line can still be right if the description or the page makes up the gap.
Can I trust the score as a prediction?
No. It counts known weaknesses in a line, such as buzzwords or templates. It cannot know your market. Use it to find avoidable problems, then test with real readers.
What is the 60 character check based on?
Many listing forms and search snippets cut taglines at around 60 characters, so we treat 60 as a typical limit. It varies by site. Check the limit of each form and keep a short version ready.
Why are some common words treated as buzzwords?
Words such as platform, solution, smart and powerful describe nearly every product and tell the reader nothing. The list marks them so you can swap them for the specific thing they stand for.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. The scoring is plain JavaScript in this page and nothing leaves your browser.