Episode Title Checker

What it does

Checks an episode title against the hard limits (YouTube 100 characters, Apple Podcasts Connect 150) and the platforms' own advice: keep it brief, put what someone would search for up front, and leave episode numbers out. It scores the title out of 100 and says what to change.

What you'll need

• Your episode title.
• Optionally, the main keyword — the words a listener would type to find this episode.

Steps

1. Type or paste the title. Add the keyword if you have one in mind.
2. Read the score and fix anything marked with a red cross first.
3. Check the cut-off preview: the start of the title should still make sense on its own.

Reading the result

Red crosses are things to fix: over YouTube's limit, the keyword missing, or an episode number in the title (Apple says to put it in the episode-number field instead). Marks with an exclamation point are worth tightening. The score is CAPTD's own weighting of those checks — the limits are the platforms', the point thresholds are ours, and the page says which is which.

Tips

• Lead with the subject, not the show name or 'Episode 14' — the front is what survives a cut.
• Use the words a listener would search for. Spotify's advice is to think about what someone would actually type into a search bar.
• A guest's name is worth including when people search for them.

What makes a good episode title?

An episode title has two jobs at once — Spotify calls it 'pulling double duty': it has to tell search what the episode is about, and make a person want to press play. That means specific words near the front and nothing that wastes width.

The hard limits are generous — 100 characters on YouTube, 150 in Apple Podcasts Connect — but apps show far less on a phone. Apple asks podcasters to keep episode titles brief and focused, and to leave episode and season numbers out, because including them "can cause important information to be hidden from view".

Why creators use it

The title is often the only thing a listener reads before deciding. A title that front-loads the subject still works when the end is cut off; one that opens with 'Episode 147 —' shows a number and not much else.

Common mistakes

• Episode numbers in the title. Apple says not to include episode or season numbers in the title; Apple Podcasts shows them for you when they're in the metadata fields.
• The show name in every title. listeners already see which show it is; it costs the most valuable space at the front.
• Clever over clear. an inside joke can't be searched for. Say what the episode is about, then add the hook.
• ALL CAPS and !!!. they read as clickbait and take up more width than the words deserve.

FAQ

How long can a podcast episode title be?

Apple Podcasts Connect accepts up to 150 characters for an episode title and YouTube accepts up to 100 for a video title. Spotify doesn't publish a maximum. Far fewer characters are visible in the apps on a phone, so the useful length is much shorter.

Where exactly do Apple Podcasts and Spotify cut titles off?

Neither publishes a number, and it depends on the device, the text size and where the title appears. That's why this checker shows your title in a narrow column rather than claiming an exact cut-off point.

Should I put the episode number in the title?

Apple's guidance is no: put episode and season numbers in their metadata fields, and Apple Podcasts displays them automatically.

Is the score an official ranking factor?

No. The limits come from each platform's documentation; the score is CAPTD's way of weighing those checks, to help you compare versions of a title.