How to Write Reddit Ad Headlines That Stop the Scroll (Up to 150 Characters)
Updated: Oct 13
The best Reddit ad headlines are short, specific and honest, sound like a Redditor and not a brand, and lead with a problem instead of your product. Keep them to about 150 characters or fewer, put the point in the first 80 so it survives on mobile, use words like we, you and your, skip emojis, and test at least two headlines against each creative.
How long should a Reddit ad headline be?
The limit: Reddit allows up to 300 characters. Reddit recommends 100 or fewer, and calls 80 the safer limit. See Reddit's Image Ad Specifications.
Our data: in our study of 43,000+ ads, headlines between 30 and 160 characters got the most upvotes. About 1 in 3 headlines (32%) go over 150 characters, and the median dropped from 129 characters in 2022 to 102 in 2025. See Reddit ads best practices from 43,000+ ads.
Our rule: up to about 150 characters, with the main point in the first 80.
How do you write a Reddit headline that stops the scroll?
Research 5 real problems. Go through the communities and see what people complain about: expensive alternatives, unreliable services, long shipping, low quality, no customization. Don't assume. Read the threads.
Lead with the problem, not the product. People know how to buy. Tell them why. "I made this, buy from me" is the headline everyone skips.
Hint at the solution. Highlight the problem simply, then point at your product as the answer.
Be self-aware. People skip anything that sounds like an ad. Everyone knows you're a brand, so be transparent about it.
Sound like a person. Use words like we, our, you, your and mine. Reddit's own best practices suggest the same conversational tone.
What do good Reddit headlines look like?
These examples are ours, written to show the idea, not real ads:
Product-first and generic | Problem-first and Reddit-native |
|---|---|
Introducing our new travel charger | Tired of carrying three chargers on every trip? We built one. |
Shop now and save 20% | We sell cables. Yes, this is an ad. No, it won't fray in 3 months. |
The ultimate strategy game, now on Steam | You wanted a strategy game that respects your time. We made one. |
What should you avoid in Reddit headlines?
Emojis. In our tests, we haven't had a single ad that worked better with an emoji, and Redditors mostly don't use them.
Copy-pasted Meta headlines. In 9 out of 10 tests, custom Reddit headlines worked better, so we always test our own against them.
Several benefits at once. Pick one pain point.
Hype and claims you can't back up. Redditors will call them out in the comments.
Long, polished sentences. Keep it short and plain.
How do you test headlines?
Start with 2 completely different creatives and 2 completely different headlines. That gives you 4 unique ad combinations.
Even small headline tweaks can change results, so test often.
Name each ad with the headline plus the creative name, so reports are easy to read.
Give a new ad about 4 days before you judge it, and don't change everything at once, because that can trigger the learning phase.
More on test structure in Reddit ads campaign structure.
Do headlines change by country?
Yes. Redditors in the US, Canada and Africa are generally older than Redditors in Europe and the rest of the world, so your tone should vary with where you target.
Reddit ad headlines: FAQ
How long should a Reddit ad headline be?
Up to about 150 characters, with the main point in the first 80. Reddit allows 300 and recommends 100 or fewer.
What makes a good Reddit ad headline?
It leads with a real problem, sounds like a person, is honest about being an ad, and focuses on one message.
Should you use emojis in Reddit ad headlines?
No. In our tests, emojis haven't helped, and Redditors mostly don't use them.
Can you reuse Meta headlines on Reddit?
You can test them, but in 9 out of 10 of our tests, headlines written for Reddit performed better.
How many headlines should you test?
At least 2 per creative. Start with 2 creatives and 2 headlines for 4 combinations.
Get the full playbook
This post comes from my free eBook, How Reddit Ads Actually Works. It also covers targeting, creative, comments and measurement. Get it free, by email.
About the author
Written by Dāvis Lejnieks, CEO of Undecided Agency and a Redditor for 15+ years. He plans and runs Reddit ad campaigns for DTC, gaming and app brands, and shares what the data shows here.
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