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Content Scannability Checker

Paste your article and see it the way a busy reader does: where sentences run long, paragraphs turn into walls, and sections need a heading or a list.

Free · No signup · Your text is analyzed in your browser

Plain text or Markdown. Headings (#) and lists (- or 1.) are recognised.
0 words · 0 characters

Up to 100,000 characters (about 15,000 words).

What is content scannability?

Most people scan a page before they decide to read it. They look at headings, the first words of paragraphs, lists and anything that stands out, then dive into the part that answers their question.

Scannability is how easy your text makes that first pass. It is different from a readability grade, which measures word and sentence difficulty. A text can use simple words and still be hard to scan if it arrives as long, unbroken blocks.

What the checker analyzes

  • Sentence length: the share of sentences over 25 words, and any over 40.
  • Paragraph density: paragraphs over 100 words, and walls of text over 150.
  • Visual breaks: how far body text runs without a heading or a list (comfortable up to about 350 words).
  • Structure: headings and lists, read from Markdown or detected from plain-text layout.
  • Document stats: words, sentences, paragraphs and reading time at 238 words per minute.

How the score works

The Scannability score is a WriteBeta diagnostic from 0 to 100, not an industry standard. It is the weighted average of three measurable parts. The same text always gets the same score.

  1. Sentence length (30%): no penalty while up to 15% of sentences are long; after that, and for every very long sentence, the score drops.
  2. Paragraph density (40%): the larger the share of your words sitting in dense paragraphs, the lower the score. Walls of text count extra.
  3. Visual breaks (30%): words beyond 350 in a run without a heading or list lower the score. Short texts are not penalised for having no headings.

Bands: 90–100 Excellent, 75–89 Good, 60–74 Needs improvement, below 60 Hard to scan.

How to make content easier to scan

  • Lead with the point

    Put the key idea in the first sentence of each paragraph. Scanners often read only that.

  • One idea per paragraph

    Two to four sentences is plenty on screen, especially on phones.

  • Write descriptive subheadings

    A heading should tell the reader what the section answers, not just label it.

  • Use lists for steps and options

    Lists are the fastest structure to scan. Keep items parallel and short.

  • Vary sentence length

    Mostly short sentences, with an occasional longer one for nuance.

  • Make important words visible

    Bold a few key phrases, never whole paragraphs.

When to use it

  • Blog posts and SEO articles before publishing
  • Landing pages and product descriptions
  • Newsletters and long emails
  • Reports, documentation and business writing
  • Drafts written in any of 54 languages, including Urdu, Hindi and Arabic

Related free tools

Content scannability questions

Is my text uploaded or stored?

No. The analysis runs entirely in your browser. Your text is not sent to WriteBeta or anyone else, and nothing is saved.

Is this the same as a readability score?

No. Readability formulas grade word and sentence difficulty. Scannability looks at how your text is laid out: sentence length, paragraph density and how often headings and lists break it up.

Does it work in languages other than English?

Yes. Sentences and words are split with your browser’s built-in language rules, so it works with Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Chinese and most other languages. The thresholds were designed for alphabetic languages, so treat scores for other scripts as a guide.

Why are some headings marked as detected?

Plain text has no formatting, so short standalone lines that do not end like a sentence are treated as headings. Use # in Markdown for exact results.

Will a higher score improve my rankings?

Not directly. Search engines do not use this score. Content that is easy to scan is easier to read and use, which supports the outcomes that matter, but no tool can guarantee rankings.

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