If there’s one skill that separates posts people scroll past from posts people click, save, and share, it’s the headline.
A headline is not a title.
It’s a hook, promise, and pattern interrupt in one line.
After publishing consistently on Dev.to and studying high-performing posts, here’s what I learned about writing headlines that attract readers before they’ve even seen the content.
1️⃣ Headlines Are Not Written for Everyone: They’re Written for One Person
A headline should speak directly to the specific reader you want.
Before writing, I ask:
“Who is this post for, and what immediate problem are they trying to solve?”
Example transformation:
❌ “Using AI at Work”
✅ “How Developers Can Use AI at Work to Save 10+ Hours a Week”
Clarity beats cleverness.
2️⃣ The Curiosity Gap is the #1 Click Trigger
Curiosity headlines outperform information headlines because they invite discovery.
Pattern to use:
X but not Y
Examples:
- “The Prompt Framework Nobody Talks About, But Every Developer Needs”
- “I Built an AI Tool in 3 Hours, Here’s the Part That Surprised Me”
Give a hint, not the whole answer.
3️⃣ Numbers Create Trust and Specificity
Numbers make content feel concrete, structured, and actionable.
Best-performing formats include:
- Lists: “7 AI Prompts That Saved Me 20+ Hours a Week”
- Timelines: “My 30-Day Journey Using AI at Work”
- Results: “How I Wrote 40+ Books With AI (Without Burning Out)”
Odd numbers outperform even numbers.
Specific beats generic.
4️⃣ Use Emotional Power Words (Sparingly)
Words that trigger emotion, speed, or transformation make headlines irresistible.
Example:
“10 Underrated AI Workflows That Every Developer Should Try”
5️⃣ The “Would I Click It?” Test (My 5-Second Filter)
Before finalizing a headline, I ask myself 3 questions:
- Does it promise value?
- Does it spark curiosity?
- Is it clear who it’s for?
If the headline doesn’t pass all 3, I rewrite it.
Sometimes I write 5–10 headline variations before choosing one.
Bonus: 7 Ready-to-Use Viral Dev.to Headline Templates
Plug in your topic and post.
- 7 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started With ____
- How I Achieved ____ in 30 Days (Without ____)
- The Step-by-Step Guide to ____ for Beginners
- The Most Underrated Tools Every ____ Should Use
- I Tried ____ So You Don’t Have To — Here’s What Happened
- 10 Mistakes That Are Slowing Down Your ____ (And How to Fix Them)
- How to Go From ____ to ____ Using AI (My Exact Workflow)
Save these: they work across tech, AI, productivity, and coding.
Final Thought
A headline is your first impression and your only chance to win attention.
Don’t treat it as an afterthought.
Treat it as a product.
If readers don’t click, the value inside never gets seen.
Spend time crafting your headline — it’s the highest-ROI 60 seconds of content creation.
Next Article:
“The Personal Branding Flywheel for Devs, Creators & Founders” — how to build momentum, authority, and inbound opportunities over time.
Top comments (3)
If readers don’t click, the value inside never gets seen.
🔥 This post hits perfectly! I’ve been experimenting with headlines for my AI content too, and the “curiosity gap” tip really works — especially the X but not Y pattern. I love how you explained that a headline isn’t just a title, it’s a hook and a promise. Definitely saving those templates — pure gold! 💡
This post is an eye opening post the devops members.