<p>Please read this <a href="http://meta.stackexchange.com/a/10648/205591">post on meta-stackoverflow.com</a>.</p> <p>The key message is: You have only 16 characters in your title, so don't waste them.<br> Read the <a href="http://meta.stackexchange.com/a/10648/205591">good/bad examples</a> and look if you agree with them.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>2. Keep it short.</strong></p> <p>You don't have to put all the details in the title. There's plenty of space to expand your question in the body of the text.</p> <p>Likewise, don't insist that your title be expressed as a perfectly formed English sentence.</p> <p><strong>3. Lead with the most important words.</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.useit.com/eyetracking" rel="nofollow">These</a> <a href="http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html" rel="nofollow">articles</a> discuss how people read web pages, based on using an eye tracking system to monitor users. For Stack Overflow-like pages people read most of the first and second entries (the bars of the "F"), and then scan down the rest of the list, reading on average the <strong>first 16 characters of each line.</strong></p> <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NSTjR.jpg" alt=""></p> <p><strong>4. Don't start with "How do I..."</strong></p> <p>Writing in that style ensures that you title will fail criteria 1-3, and get less attention than it deserves.</p> <p>This is a question site, and people will understand your titles are questions.</p> </blockquote> <p>To be fair: There is a certain amount of <a href="http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/10647/how-do-i-write-a-good-title#comment19236_10648">people who disagree</a> with this.</p>