Headline analyzer
Your headline is the
whole first impression.
Most copy dies at the first line. Paste a headline, subject line or hook and Whetstone grades it the way a direct-response copywriter would: curiosity, specificity, promise and awareness fit.
Paste your headline
Opens the full grader with your headline loaded.
What gets checked
Hook strength
Does the first line create enough tension, curiosity or self-interest that the next line gets read?
Specificity
Concrete nouns, numbers and details beat abstractions. Vague headlines get skimmed past.
Show vs. tell
A headline that asserts ("amazing results") is weaker than one that demonstrates the result.
Awareness fit
The right headline for an unaware reader is the wrong headline for someone ready to buy.
Headline questions, answered
- What makes a headline strong?
- A strong headline earns the next line. It carries a specific promise, a reason to keep reading, and language the reader already uses, rather than a clever phrase that says nothing concrete.
- How is a headline graded here?
- Whetstone reads the headline the way a direct-response copywriter would: hook strength first, then specificity, show vs. tell discipline, and whether the implied promise matches what the reader is aware of.
- Should a headline state the benefit or create curiosity?
- It depends on awareness. Unaware and problem-aware readers usually need curiosity or a problem echo; solution-aware and most-aware readers respond to a direct, specific claim.
- How long should a headline be?
- Long enough to be specific, short enough to be read in one glance. Cut every word that does not add information, tension or proof.
Got more than a headline? Grade the full piece.