Tagline

A tagline is not a slogan

A famous company can use a slogan that says nothing about the product. A new product cannot: the tagline is often the only text a visitor reads before deciding to click, so it has to explain the product to a stranger without any context.

The limits

Each platform cuts the line at a different length: 60 characters for a Product Hunt tagline, 30 for an App Store subtitle, 80 for a Google Play short description, 132 for a Chrome Web Store summary. Writing to 60 characters gives a version that fits most places, with a 30 character version for app stores.

Patterns that work

What it is, for whom: "Invoicing for freelance designers." The result, without the pain: "Get paid without chasing clients." A familiar thing, changed: "An open source Calendly." Cut hype words such as revolutionary and ultimate, and vague verbs such as empower and transform; every launch uses them, so they say nothing.

Test it before launch

Show the tagline and the first screenshot to someone outside your field for five seconds, then ask what the product does. If they cannot say, rewrite it. Read it aloud: if it sounds like an advertisement, say it the way you would to a friend. Check the length against each platform's limit, because a line cut off mid-word looks careless.

Example

"The revolutionary AI platform transforming how teams work" becomes "Meeting notes written for you, for remote teams": 47 characters that say what it does and for whom.

Questions people ask

How long should a tagline be?

Under 60 characters, the Product Hunt limit, which also fits most directory cards. App store subtitles need a 30 character version.

Should a tagline include the product name?

Not on launch platforms and app stores, where the name is shown right next to it. Repeating it wastes space.