YouTube Title Checker
Score a title for length, truncation, keyword placement and clickability. Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
A YouTube title has two jobs and they pull against each other: it has to carry the search term you want the video found for, and it has to make a human choose your video over the eleven others on screen. Most titles fail at the second because they were written for the first.
This checker scores both. It reports where the title is cut off on desktop and on mobile, where your keyword sits relative to that cut-off, and whether the wording gives a viewer any reason to click. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded, there is no sign-in, and there is no limit on how many titles you test.
What the score actually measures
Truncation
Desktop search shows roughly 60 characters; the mobile home feed shows closer to 40. Text past those points still exists in the metadata but is invisible to the person deciding whether to click, so the checker renders both cut-offs against your actual title.
Keyword position
YouTube weights terms near the front of a title more heavily, and a keyword pushed past the truncation point is invisible in results. The checker reports the exact character position rather than a pass/fail, so you can judge whether moving it reads naturally.
Capitalisation
Measured as a ratio of capital letters to total letters. One emphasised word is emphasis; a title in full caps reads as spam and measurably suppresses click-through.
Specificity
A number or a bracketed qualifier gives the viewer something concrete to weigh. Titles carrying neither tend to read as generic even when the video is not.
Hook
Checks for words that open a curiosity gap or put something at stake. A purely descriptive title tells the viewer what the video is, which is not the same as telling them why to watch it.
How to use it
- 1
Paste your title
Type or paste the YouTube title you are considering into the box.
- 2
Add your target keyword
Optionally enter the keyword you want the video to rank for, so the checker can verify placement.
- 3
Read the score
You get a 0-100 score plus specific issues: truncation point, keyword position, capitalisation, and whether the title carries a hook.
What this will not do
- It cannot tell you whether the title matches the video. A title that scores 100 and misleads the viewer will lose more watch time than a plain one that is honest.
- It does not check search volume or competition for your keyword. Use the Video SEO Optimizer for that.
- The power-word list is a heuristic, not a model of your audience. A title that ignores every suggestion here can still outperform if it lands with the people who watch you.
- Scores are relative guidance, not a ranking prediction. YouTube ranks on watch time and engagement; the title only earns the click that starts them.
Common questions
How long should a YouTube title be?
Keep it under 60 characters. YouTube truncates around 60 on desktop search and closer to 40 on mobile home feed, so anything past that is invisible to most viewers. The checker marks both cut-off points on your title.
Does this tool need an account?
No. It runs entirely in your browser, needs no sign-in, and has no usage limit. Nothing you type is sent to a server.
Where should the keyword go in a YouTube title?
As close to the front as reads naturally. YouTube weights early terms more heavily, and a keyword pushed past the truncation point is invisible in search results. The checker reports its character position.
What makes a title score badly?
Running past 60 characters, burying the keyword late, ALL CAPS beyond one or two words, no number or specific claim, and generic phrasing with no hook. Each is flagged separately so you know what to change.
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