How to Write a Tagline for Your Product
To write a tagline for your product, say what it does and who it’s for in one plain line, then test that line on someone who has never seen the product. If they can repeat back what it does, you’re done. If they ask “so what is it?”, you wrote a slogan, not a tagline.
On a launch directory, the tagline is often the only thing people read before deciding whether to click. It sits under your name in lists, on your product page and in shared previews. It has to work without the logo, the screenshots or the landing page around it. We run LaunchGP, where every car on the grid shows one, so we’ve thought about this a fair amount.
What’s the difference between a tagline and a slogan?
A slogan is for people who already know your brand. A tagline on a launch platform is for people who don’t. Two clever words can work for a company everyone knows. For a product nobody has heard of, they say nothing.
So for launches, write a description that happens to be short. Leave the slogan for later.
Is there a formula for a product tagline?
[What it is] for [who] that [does what, or what’s different].
Some shapes this takes:
- “Uptime monitoring for indie hackers that texts you before your users notice.”
- “A habit tracker for people who quit habit trackers.”
- “Screenshot API for developers, with full-page captures and no browser to manage.”
These are made-up examples to show the shape, not real products.
You won’t always need all three parts. If the “who” is obvious from the “what,” drop it. If the difference is the whole point, lead with it.
How do you test a tagline?
1. The stranger test
Show the tagline alone to someone outside your field. Ask what the product does. If they can’t say, rewrite.
2. The swap test
Could a competitor put your tagline on their site without changing a word? “The easiest way to manage your projects” fails. A tagline that only fits your product is doing its job.
3. The jargon test
Remove every word your users wouldn’t use themselves. “Leverage AI-powered synergies” becomes, at best, “uses AI to,” and then you have to say to do what.
4. The length test
Shorter is easier to read in a list. On LaunchGP the tagline field takes up to 80 characters, which is enough for a full sentence and too short for two. If yours doesn’t fit, it’s usually trying to say two things.
5. The verb test
A good tagline usually has a concrete verb: sends, tracks, finds, fixes, turns. “Solution,” “platform” and “experience” are nouns that hide what happens.
What does a better tagline look like?
| Before | Problem | After |
|---|---|---|
| “The future of note-taking” | Says nothing about what it does | “Notes that turn into a to-do list when you write a date” |
| “Powerful analytics for modern teams” | Fails the swap test | “Analytics for Shopify stores that show which ad paid for which order” |
| “Your all-in-one creator toolkit” | Too vague to picture | “Schedule, post and reply to comments on five platforms from one inbox” |
All examples are invented. The pattern is the point: every “after” names a concrete thing the product does.
What tagline mistakes should you avoid?
- Repeating the name. “Acme: Acme helps you…” wastes half the line.
- Starting with “The best.” Readers skip superlatives.
- Listing features. “Invoices, CRM, time tracking, reports” reads like a menu. Pick the one that brings people in.
- Writing for investors. “Disrupting the invoicing market” is a pitch deck line. Launch readers want to know what they can do with it today.
Where does the tagline go next?
Once you have it, the rest of your launch copy grows from it. It’s the first line of your launch post (how to write a launch post people actually read), the line under your car on the LaunchGP grid and the text people see when your product page is shared.
Write ten versions, run them through the five tests, keep the one a stranger understood fastest. Then put it on your entry and get on the next grid. The SaaS launch checklist covers everything else to prepare.
FAQ
How long should a product tagline be?
One sentence. On LaunchGP the limit is 80 characters. On other platforms, check the field limit and the length that shows in lists before it gets cut off.
Should the tagline include a keyword?
If the words people search for are also the plainest way to describe the product, yes. Don’t force a keyword in if it makes the line harder to understand.
Can my tagline be funny?
It can, as long as the reader still knows what the product does. “A habit tracker for people who quit habit trackers” is a little funny and still says what it is.
Should I change my tagline for each launch platform?
Keep one main version and adjust only for length. A consistent line helps people recognize the product when they see it twice.
How many tagline versions should I write?
Enough to have real choices. Ten quick drafts usually show you which angle works, then the tests pick the winner.