Chapter 1: The Impact of Truncated Headlines

Many of us often receive alerts on our phones from Medium about new articles. Typically, I ignore these notifications because the headline fails to catch my attention or simply doesn’t interest me. However, recently I dismissed a story solely because the title was incomplete; part of it was truncated. Instead of appearing like this:

Author Struggling with Writer's Block Attempts to Create a Witty Headline but Ultimately Fails

It looked like this:

Author Struggling with Writer's Block Attempts to Create a Witty...

This phenomenon is known as truncation, which occurs when a headline exceeds the character limit for the display area. This issue is not only seen in notifications but also appears when browsing through feeds on both mobile and desktop devices. Depending on the structure of the words, essential details might be cut off, diminishing the headline’s effectiveness and leading to fewer clicks on that article. If I’m overlooking stories for this reason, it’s likely that others are doing the same.

Through my observations on desktop, I found that Medium headlines generally truncate at around 75 to 85 characters. This figure can vary since the platform avoids cutting off words mid-way. Therefore, two headlines that are both 80 characters long might truncate at different points or not at all, based on the wording and number of words used.

To prevent this issue, aim to keep your headline length under 80 characters. If a longer title is necessary, ensure that critical information appears at the beginning.

Section 1.1: The Importance of Engaging Headlines

Crafting a compelling headline is crucial for drawing readers in. A well-structured title can make all the difference in whether someone clicks on your article or scrolls past it.

Subsection 1.1.1: Strategies for Effective Headlines

Chapter 2: Practical Tips for Headline Success

Emphasizing brevity and clarity in your headlines is essential for maximizing engagement and readership.