[EXTERNAL] Clickbait Labeling Guidelines V2

(Updated 3/19/21)

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All updates from the previously approved version Clickbait Labeling Guidelines V2 Updated 12/4/20 (L396376HL6

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Approved 12/10/20) are highlighted in purple

Please see the addendum for additional clarification on confusion areas: [EXTERNAL] Clickbait (V1 & V2) Guideline
Addendum: Confusion Area Clarifications

Objective
Our objective for this work is to understand the prevalence of clickbait-y content in News Feed. We know from research

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that people do not like to see clickbait in their News Feeds. If we can understand the prevalence and nature of such
posts, we can work to improve the News Feed experience for everyone. 

The purpose of this document is to provide instructions on how to evaluate link titles for potential Clickbait and label
content in SRT along the different subtypes of Withholding & Sensationalism
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VERY IMPORTANT: This labeling work should be done objectively. In other words, this labeling work isn’t subjectively
asking if something ’feels clickbait-y’ to you, but rather, for example, whether the link title accurately captures and
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reflects what’s included in the article it links to.

General Instructions
● The Big Picture: Our goal is to identify posts with links on Facebook where the text is trying to ’lure’ people to
click on them by either 1) withholding information that’s needed to understand the main take-away(s) of an
article (also called ’curiosity gaps’) or 2) using sensationalist tactics to make the content of the article seem more
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important/exciting than it actually is. Thoroughness/accuracy is the most important factor when you are labeling
posts, so please focus on ensuring each piece of content is labeled to the best of your ability
● Definitions:
○ Link title = the title of the URL’s article as it’s shared on Facebook
■ Note: this is not the headline of the article on the website; these can sometimes be different and
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here we want to focus on link title in the post itself, which will be rendered in SRT.
○ Link description = the text underneath the link title that describes/previews the content of the article
○ Body text / composer box =  the text of the FB post itself in the “composer box” on Facebook
○ Preview photo = the image that appears as part of the link preview in the post
○ Main content = the article / content itself on the website
● Compare FB Post to Webpage Article: We are using the FB Post (including link title, link description, body text,
and preview photo/video) as it compares to the content on the site to classify posts (see image below) 
○ You will evaluate a post for withholding or sensationalizing information; to know if it
withholds/sensationalizes information, you need to click through on the link and review the content of the
article to be sure.
○ To be clear, you should not be using the title as it reads on the website directly in your assessment of
whether the title withholds information - you should be relying on the post in SRT and the main take-aways
of the article on the site in your assessment
 ● Exceptions to Clicking the Link: In most cases, you will need to click through the link to accurately evaluate for
Clickbait. Exceptions include...
○ If you attempt to click through and you get an interstitial (a warning message) saying the site is suspected
to be malicious (or similar), DO NOT proceed on. Instead, Respond to the final question in SRT with the
“Link broken or malicious or site content will not load” option and move on to the next job. 

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○ If you have a bad feeling about the URL itself (e.g., you suspect it’s pornographic based on the wording in
the URL), you DO NOT have to click through on it. Instead, respond to the final question in SRT with the

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“Site contains objectionable content” option and move on to the next job.
○ If the site contains a blocker that you cannot “X” out of or cannot otherwise dismiss and that requires you
to take some action (liking/following/etc) to get through, DO NOT proceed on. Instead, respond to the final
question in SRT with the “Site paywalled & requires log-in, subscription, or other action to access content”
and move on to the next job.
● Response Options: You will be asked two main questions: “Does this link’s title withhold information needed to
understand the full story?” and “Does this link’s title use sensationalist phrasing or tactics?”. If you respond “yes”

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to either of these questions, you will be asked to select which subtype of Withholding or Sensationalism applies
(subtypes explained in the detailed guidelines sections below) and where the Withholding or Sensationalism
occurs in the post (link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video). 
● SRT UI: Below is a screenshot of what the Clickbait labeling UI will look like in SRT.
e○
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○ Preview Photo Evaluation: To properly evaluate the preview photo for withholding or sensationalist tactics,
hover over it to enlarge the image

■
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● Decision Tree: Below is the outline of all questions & response options that are included in the Clickbait V2
decision tree.
○ Question 1: Are you able to evaluate this post?
■ Yes
■ Unable to Evaluate
□ If Unable to Evaluate, why are you unable to evaluate?
 ● Not in correct queue language
● Link broken or malicious or site content will not load
● No post listed in SRT or post does not render in readable way
● Site paywalled, requires log-in, subscription, or other action to access content

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● site blocked with non-dissmissable pop-up (e.g. an ad)
● Site contains objectionable content

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■ Question 2: Does any part of this post withhold information needed to understand the full story? 
□ Yes
● If yes, which subtype of withholding applies?
○ Vague [The topic of the article is not clear in the post]
○ Singular Withheld Detail [A key piece of information is referenced but not disclosed]
○ Ellipses Curiosity Gap [Use of ellipses to create a curiosity gap]

73 ne ○ Withholding Listicle [Reference to listicle articles and call out of a particular,

unnamed item]
○ Unnamed Celebrity [Reference to celebrity/ famous person without naming them]
● If yes, where in the post does the withholding occur?
○ Body Text [The text of the FB post itself in the “composer box”]
○ Link Title [The title of the URL’s article as it’s shared on FB]
○ Link Description [The text underneath the link title that describes/previews the content
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of the article]
○ Preview Photo/Video [The image that appears as part of the link preview in the post]
● If yes, is the withheld information revealed in a different part of the post?
○ Yes
■ If yes, where in the post is the withheld information revealed? 
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□ Body Text [The text of the FB post itself in the “composer box”]

□ Link Title [The title of the URL’s article as it’s shared on FB]
□ Link Description [The text underneath the link title that
describes/previews the content of the article]
□ Preview Photo/Video [The image that appears as part of the link preview
in the post]
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○ No
□ No
■ Question 3: Does any part of this post use sensationalist phrasing or tactics?
□ Yes
● If yes, which subtype of sensationalism applies?
○ Exaggeration [Exaggerated or made to seem more important than the article content
really is]
○ Extreme Language [Language that seems extreme compared to most other link titles
and article headlines]
○ Formatting Cues [Unnecessary or excessive capitalization or punctuation, like multiple
exclamation marks]
○ Audience Reaction [Attempt to predict the audience’s reaction]
 ○ Behavioral Directive [Forcefully Tell the reader to consume the article]
● If yes, where in the post does the sensationalism occur?
○ Body Text [The text of the FB post itself in the “composer box”]
○ Link Title [The title of the URL’s article as it’s shared on FB]

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○ Link Description [The text underneath the link title that describes/previews the content
of the article]

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○ Preview Photo/Video [The image that appears as part of the link preview in the post]
□ No
● Immediate Escalation: If the content (post or article) contains violating content, escalate the Job ID immediately
to your project lead. 
○ Violating content is content that potentially violates Facebook's Community Standards (if content is from
Facebook; see https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/). It includes:
■ CEI (Child Exploitation Imagery)

73 ne ■ Credible Threats (Non Terrorism, for Terrorism please use fburl.com/CTEscalation

(http://fburl.com/CTEscalation))
■ IIC (Inappropriate Interactions with Children)
■ Human Trafficking
■ Minor Sexualization
■ Non Consensual Intimate Images / Revenge Porn
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■ Non Consensual Sexual Touching / Rape / Sexual Assault
■ Non-Sexual Child Abuse
■ Prostitution Involving Minors Only
■ Registered/Convicted Sex Offender
■ Regulated Goods
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■ Self Harm
■ Sextortion
■ Suicidal Content
○ If you are not comfortable reviewing the content, you can skip the job after escalating.
■ Project leads should use appropriate version of the contact form [Externally Facing] to route job ids
into appropriate queues (CEI should never be screenshot or replicated in any way as it only further
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exacerbates the issue. Please always look to use task/job number for issue identification.)

Withholding Guidelines
We will evaluate whether any part of a post ( link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video) withholds
information needed to understand key details of the article to which they link. Sometimes entities will post content
where the post doesn’t tell the full story or withholds key details about the story in order to encourage people to click
through to find out the missing details. This is oftentimes indicative of what people call “clickbait.”

Withholding Subtypes
Vague
 Vague: The link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video is so vague that you have no idea what the link
will lead to nor a clear understanding of what the article is about. 

● Withholding Examples
○ Get ready for this → The vagueness of this post leaves us without a clear understanding of what the article

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is about
○ Here’s what happened → This post is lacking any context, so we have no idea what the article will be about

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○ If you say so → The lack of content of this post leaves us without a clear understanding of what the article
is about
● Not Withholding Examples
○ 5k World Record smashed → Not withholding because we have a clear and accurate understanding of what
the article is about - the breaking of the world record for a 5k running time
○ Ian Johnson → Even though this is short, it is not withholding because we have an accurate understanding
of what the article is about - a bio of Ian Johnson

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Singular, Withheld Detail

Singular, Withheld Detail: The link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video suggests there is a key point
about the article needed to understand the main message or story, but it does not disclose that detail. In other words,
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the post makes you question what the main take-away detail is of the article, when that detail could have easily been
included. Key details that could have been easily included are singular and succinct. If the withheld information is
complex, multi-faceted, or long, then it is not reasonable to include in the post and thus is not withholding.
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Note: Questions depend on how they are used:

● Questions that lead to thought pieces or essays that include comprehensive explanations or answers from several
standpoints → do not withhold information.
● Questions from crowd sourced Q&A sites (such as Quora) where the link title is the question that was asked → do
not withhold information
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● Questions that link to a site where a single, short answer is given to the question → withhold information

Examples

● Withholding Examples
○ The one reason you can’t sleep well → key detail needed to understand the story withheld; article explains
that  ”the one reason” you can’t sleep well is your diet.
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○ You’ll never clean with chemicals again after you read about this natural homecleaning solution! → key
detail needed to understand the story withheld; article clarifies that “this natural home-cleaning solution” is
baking soda & water
○ Blake Lively just donated how much to charity?!?!” → key detail needed to understand the story withheld;
article shares that Blake Lively donated $1,000,000.
○ What is the little hole next to your camera on your cell phone? → if this is not a crowd sourced Q&A site
like Quora and it does link to an article where it states the 1 purpose (i.e. it’s a mini microphone), then it
withholds information
○ This city ranked #1 for homicides last year →  key detail needed to understand the story withheld; article is
all about Chicago and its position as the city with the most homicides
● Not Withholding Examples
○ Diet may be causing poor sleep → key detail (cause of poor sleep) included 
 ○ Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively pledge $1 million to Feeding America → key detail (donation amount)
included 
○ The many health benefits of cacao nibs → Not withholding because we don’t except all of the “many
health benefits” to be listed
○ Circadian rhythms of neural genes change with aging → no key details referenced or withheld

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○ French Fry Tour: Brugge Brasserie → no key details referenced or withheld

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○ One injured in crash with train → no key details referenced or withheld
○ Chicago ranked #1 for homicides last year → key detail (which city) included
○ The little hole next to your camera on your phone actually does several important things → not
withholding because we don’t expect all of the “important things” to be listed 
○ An Alaskan Mining Town Has Revitalized Its Industry Through Moving to Solar Power → not withholding
because the name of the Alaskan mining town, which is not widely known, is not needed to understand
the story

73 ne ○ This is the moment that Maajid Nawaz pointed out the absurdity of the measures in place in Wales during
their 'firebreaker' lockdown → Posts that use phrases like “this is the moment when...” often refer to videos,
that cannot be reasonably described or included in the post
○ Could the world’s most famous shipwreck still hold remains of passengers and crew who died a century
ago?  → There is no singular, succinct answer to this question in the article. The article is about the debate
to the question;
Ellipses Curiosity Gap therefore this is not withholding.

Ellipses Curiosity Gap: The link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video uses ellipses to denote there’s
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more to the link title and to create a curiosity gap about what the rest of the text might say. 

Note: Ellipses used to denote a pause or a formatting issue (e.g. the link title is too long) ARE NOT indicative of
withholding information

● Withholding Examples
○  A person walked across the street, then this happened… → ellipses creates a curiosity gap around “what
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happened” (i.e. the man was shot)

○ This woman was deployed for 5 years. When she got home, her dog…  → ellipses creates a curiosity gap
around what “her dog” did (i.e. he leaps on her once he recognizes her)
● Not Withholding Examples
○ A person walked across the street...then they found their pet they had lost weeks previously. → ellipses used
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only to denote a pause

○ Woman deployed for five years receives ecstatic welcome from her dog → no ellipses used & main details
included in link title 
○ New postal policies that are slowing service may affect 2020 mail-in voting, uni... → ellipses used as a
formatting function to shorten the title
○ Throughout the Harry Potter series, the gentle half-giant Rubeus Hagrid is known as many things. He's a
father-like protector of Harry, the Hogwarts groundskeeper, the Keeper of the Keys, a Care of Magical
Creatures teacher, and, to those who believe in the Hagrid Death Eater theory, an avid fol... → ellipses used
as a formatting function to shorten the title
○ An Estonian ferry disaster that killed 852 people in 1994 was probably not caused by hull damage to the
vessel that was first revealed in a documentary this year… → ellipses are NOT used to create a curiosity gap
here, but rather as a way to end the statement
○ After years of decline, it’s only by watching newer episodes that you can appreciate the paradox of multiple
Barts, the tragedy of Marge, and how the show echoes life ... ellipses are NOT used to create a curiosity gap
 here, but rather as a way to end the statement
○ Big bikes from the past... → though this title is short and uses ellipses, we have an adequate understanding
of what the article is about. The ellipses are not used to create a deliberate curiosity gap around specific
withheld details
Withholding Listicles

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Withholding Listicles are posts that provide content typically in a numbered or listed format (often within an article or

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slideshow). Typically, listicles are not considered to withhold information as long as the post explains what the listicle is
about, since it’s not possible to list out all of the reasons in the post itself. However, when a listicle post calls out a
particular item in the list as noteworthy but doesn’t say why, it can be withholding.

● Withholding Examples
○ These 7 super fruits are associated with better health. #4 will surprise you! → calls out a particular item
from the listicle and withholds why “it will surprise you”
○ Two people from the show are dating in real life and look less than put together... 15 Pictures That The

73 ne Cast Of 'Shameless" Wants Deleted From The Internet  → calls out a particular picture from the listicle and
withholds who "look less than put together" in that picture
○ These Top 4 Useful Tips Will Make You A Better Baker! (You Won’t Believe the First One!)  → This calls out a
specific item on the list but withholds what it is (listicle subtype); additionally, this is sensational because it
predicts the audience reaction (“you won’t believe”)
● Not Withholding Examples
○ These 20 super fruits are associated with better health → We know we’re going to read about fruits linked
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to health benefits and it’s not possible to list out all 10 in the post
○ 5 Health Benefits of Cacao Nibs → We know we’re going to read about health benefits and we don’t expect
all 5 to be listed in the post
○ 75 hilarious tweets from parents trying to get their kids to eat → we have a clear understanding of the
content of the article and we don’t expect all 75 tweets to be included in the post itself
nf

Unnamed Celebrities

Unnamed Celebrities: When a link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video explicitly notes that
someone is ”famous,” ”well-known,” ”legendary” or otherwise calls attention to someone’s widely-recognized public
status AND then withholds their name, this should be considered withholding. The question raised here is ”OK, which
famous person are they referring to?” Otherwise, if the link title, link description, body text, or preview
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photo/video withholds the individual’s name but does not point out that they are well-known, a celebrity, or similar,
then it should be tagged as “does not withhold.”

Notes: 

● If the link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video says or implies that the individual person may
be well-known/ famous and when you click through on the article you’ve never heard of the individual, do not
let this sway your judgment - this should still be considered withholding...
● ...And vice versa - if the link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video does not imply that a person
is famous/well-known, but the article reveals that they are, this should still be considered not withholding.
● If the subject of the post/article is unnamed, but the post does not emphasize their identity or imply that they
are well-known/famous/celebrity/etc., then this is NOT withholding.
● If the subject of the post is unnamed AND referenced as a professional athlete, singer, or actor - this counts as
drawing attention to their widely-recognized public status and should be considered withholding (unnamed
celebrity). 
 ● Withholding Examples
○ Legendary race car driver dies after crash → race car driver referenced as “legendary” and name is withheld
- even if we don’t recognize upon clicking the article, this is still withholding

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○ Famous cricket player donated half of his income to charity  → cricket player is referenced as “famous” and
name is withheld

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○ Top model determined to be most beautiful woman  → woman referenced as “top” model and name is
withheld
○ French politician, known worldwide, leads moment of silence for fallen law enforcement  →politician
referenced as “known worldwide” and name is withheld
○ Rugby star volunteers at children’s hospital  → rugby player referenced as a “star” and name is withheld
○ Celebrity donates car to neighbor  → Subject referenced as “celebrity” and name is withheld
○ Whoa! One of the RHOC cast members reveals wanting to QUIT the show! → post draws attention to the

73 ne subject’s recognized public status by referring to them as a cast member, yet withholds the name
● Not Withholding Examples
○ Race car driver dies after crash → race car driver is not referenced as famous, therefore we don’t consider
the name to be an important detail to include in the title 
○ Amateur race car driver injured in crash → race car driver referenced as “amateur” i.e. not famous, therefore
we don’t consider the name to be an important detail to include in the title
○ Little-known congressman upended US immigration → Congressman referenced as “little-known” i.e. not
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famous, therefore we don’t consider the name to be an important detail to include in the title
○ Brazilian president takes office → does not withhold because there’s 1 Brazilian president 
○  Celebrities react to claims of toxic work environment on The Ellen Show → The article lists many celebrities
(>3), therefore it is not reasonable for the celebrities’ names to be listed in the link title.
○ Tennis player arrested while on vacation → tennis player not referenced as famous, therefore we don’t
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consider the name to be an important detail to include in the title

○ US cabinet member trips and falls, resulting in injury → US cabinet member not referenced as famous,
therefore we don’t consider the name to be an important detail to include in the title
○ Nigerian politician requests investigation into funds misappropriation → Politician not referenced as
famous, therefore we don’t consider the name to be an important detail to include in the title

Withholds Then Reveals Scenario

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Scenario: If a post withholds information in one place (link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video)
but clearly answers or reveals that information in another part of the post (link title, link description, body text, or
preview photo/video), please label accordingly. We want to identify where in the post the initial withholding takes
place as well as where in the post the withheld information is revealed. 

How to Label: If any part of the post  (link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video) uses one of the
withholding tactics described above, but then reveals the withheld information elsewhere in the post, please select
“yes” to withholding, then select which type of withholding applies and where the withholding occurs in the post, then
select where in the post the information is revealed.

Examples:

● Withholding (subtype: unnamed celebrities) in the link title (“celebrity chef”) revealed in the body text AND
withholding (subtype: singular, withheld detail) in the body text (“it’s a risky move”) revealed in the link title
 (“opens restaurant in Charlotte”).

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● Withholding (subtype: vague) in the body text (“just wow!”) revealed in the link title (“Huge tuna ; the size of a
van’ pictured leaping into the air”).

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● Withholding (subtype: singular, withheld detail) in the body text (“the news”) revealed in the link title (“lockdown
for entire country”) and link description (“lead has urged the nation to work together to push back the spread of
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COVD-19”).

○
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● Withhold (subtype: unnamed celebrity) in the link title revealed in the preview photo (image shows the player
referenced). NOTE - if there were multiple players in this photo, or the incorrect player shown in this photo, then
we would NOT consider this as “revealed” in the preview photo, because the identity of the celebrity would still
be withheld. 
 ○

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Withholding Special Cases

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● Quotes : If the link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video is quoting someone, generally, the
quoted portion should not be used when labeling the below-explained dimensions, because the quoted text is
not the publisher’s words. Exceptions include when a post relies on the quoted portion to create a curiosity gap...
e ○ Withholding Examples
■ “I can’t believe one simple ingredient could make my skin so much better” is what Celebrity Jane Doe
said about our skin cream! → quote is used to create a curiosity gap by withholding information
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about the skin care ingredient
■ “Wow, I can’t believe the results” is what this celebrity said about our skin cream! → does withhold
because it creates a curiosity gap by not naming the celebrity
○ Not Withholding Examples
■ “I can’t believe one simple ingredient could make my skin so much better” is what Celebrity Jane Doe
said about the strawberry extract in our face cream → quote creates a curiosity gap but rest of link
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title clarifies it
● Spoilers: When a link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video leads to an article about a TV
show, movie, book, podcast, etc., (such as an episode re-cap) and withholds information, we will label these as
“does not withhold information” because one motivation for avoiding spoilers is to practice good “etiquette” by
not sharing spoilers.
○ Withholding Examples
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■ Pablo Escobar’s Last Days on Earth Included a Surprise Visit → an article that’s not about a
show/book/movie/etc. and is about Pablo Escobar’s last days on earth, withholds information
○ Not Withholding Examples
■ The season finale of The Walking Dead aired last night. It had a surprising ending. → does not
withhold info because post is avoiding a spoiler
■ Walking Dead: Episode III - does not withhold even though it only mentions the episode title
■ Narcos Spoiler: Pablo Escobar’s Shocking Last Days on Earth → does not withhold info
■ Who Killed Andrea on The Night Of? →does not withhold info
■ Ming’s Dilemma →if this title is the name of an episode of a show, it does not withhold
■  ‘Vikings’ Season 4 Episode 15: The Shocking Death of a Major Character → not withholding because
post is avoiding a spoiler
● Niche Stories: Importantly, some posts will accompany articles/content that have to do with niche interests.
Sometimes these posts tend to use “shorthand” or abbreviations to convey information. It’s important to ’give the
 benefit of the doubt’ in these instances and assume the target audience has at least a working level of knowledge
in a given niche interest area. 
○ Withholding Examples
■ Lebron commits to a team move → If this post links to an article that lists the team that Lebron is
considering moving to, it WOULD withhold

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■ NBA star makes a team move to the Lakers → withholds because it doesn’t mention the NBA star (and

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alludes to the fact that the individual is well-known enough to call a star)
○ Not Withholding Examples
■ Lebron is considering a team move to the Lakers → wouldn’t withhold information because we
should assume that people interested in sports would have awareness of who Lebron is and know
that he’s a basketball player.
■ Lebron is considering a team move → If this post links to an article that lists out more than 3 teams
Lebron is considering moving to, it WOULD NOT withhold (as this would be similar to a listicle and
the link title couldn’t list them all out reasonably)

73 ne ■ Lebron is considering a team move → If this post links to an article that does not list the teams that
Lebron is considering (e.g., if he hasn’t named them), then this WOULD NOT withhold

Withholding Response Options

A B
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1 Response Option Use When...

2 No, does not withhold post provides sufficient details necessary to understand the main content (article)

link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video clearly leaves out key
details necessary to understand the main content (article)

3 Yes, does withhold one way to think of this is ”can I relatively easily come up with phrasing that would
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have been more straightforward and not withhold key details?” (so, you can come up
with another title with minimal effort that reflects the information in the article without
leaving out the primary take-away from the article)

4 If you determine that part of the post is withholding, please select what subtype of withholding applies
5 Vague The topic of the article is not clear in the post
6 Singular, Withheld Detail A key piece of information is referenced but not disclosed
7 Ellipses Curiosity Gap Ellipses are used to create a curiosity gap
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8 Withholding Listicles Reference to listicle articles and call out of a particular, unnamed item
9 Unnamed Celebrity Reference to celebrities/ famous people without naming them
10 If you determine that part of the post is withholding, please select where the withholding occurs:
11 Body Text The text of the FB post itself in the “composer box” on Facebook
12 Link Title The title of the URL’s article as it’s shared on Facebook

13 Lin Description The text underneath the link title that describes/previews the content of the article

14 Preview Photo/Video The image that appears as part of the link preview in the post

15
If you determine that the part of the post withholds information, but another part of the post reveals that information, please
select where the information is answered/revealed:
16 Body Text The text of the FB post itself in the “composer box” on Facebook
17 Link Title The title of the URL’s article as it’s shared on Facebook

18 Lin Description The text underneath the link title that describes/previews the content of the article

19 Preview Photo/Video The image that appears as part of the link preview in the post
 Sensationalism Guidelines
Sensationalist post create the wrong expectation in the reader. One of the main ways to create the wrong expectation
is to create an expectation that the information in the link is somehow more significant or surprising than it actually is

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(so, the post might exaggerate or overstate the content included in the article itself or it might deceive by mentioning
something that is not true upon reading the article itself). Sensationalist posts often over-promise and under-deliver,

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and upon reading the article for a sensationalist post, it’s common to feel let down or think, “well, that was lame” or
“ugh, I wish I hadn’t clicked on that. What a waste of time.”

One way of thinking about whether a news link is sensationalist is to imagine replacing the actual text of the post with
a one sentence summary of the article. If the text is exaggerated or misleading relative to the one sentence summary,
that’s a clue that the post uses sensationalist tactics.

Sensationalism Subtypes

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Exaggeration

Exaggeration: Link titles, link descriptions, body texts, or preview photos/videos that say or imply something about the
nature the story that, upon reading the story, is exaggerated, misleading, or made to seem more important than it
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really is. One way to test this is to evaluate whether the post agrees with the main conclusions of the article.

● Sensational Examples:
○ Ginger gene is the secret to everlasting youth → exaggerates the benefits of the ginger gene, saying it
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results in “everlasting youth” while the article cites that it only makes you look “two years younger”
○ A really unbelievable thing happened to this woman on the highway → exaggerates that what happened to
the woman as “unbelievable” when the article states that what happened was a man stopped to change
her flat tire
○ Neil DeGrasse Tyson Makes Stunning Prediction, Claims Asteroid Could Strike Earth One Day Prior To
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Presidential Election → creates a false expectation that this story is more important than it really is by
exaggerating the content of the article. The article clarifies that there is <1% of the asteroid entering our
atmosphere and that even if it did, it is too small to do any damage.
○ Just in: Dana White drops a BOMBSHELL → post exaggerates the importance of the content in the article by
referring to it as a bombshell (when it’s just an opinion that a certain athlete won’t retire yet). This post is
also considered sensational due to formatting (capitalization of the extreme word “BOMBSHELL,”), as well
as withholding (singular, withheld detail). 
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● Not Sensational Examples

○ Potential ginger tea benefits include improved digestion and clearer skin link → Frames the specific benefits
of lemon tea as potential and specific
○ Man changes woman’s flat tire in viral social media post → articulates what happened to the woman
without exaggerating

Extreme Language

Extreme Language: Link titles, link descriptions, body texts, or preview photos/videos that contain language that seems
extreme in nature, compared to most other link titles and article headlines. Example language: “shocking,” “never
believe,” “never guess,” or “mind-blowing.” Extreme language is a clue that a post might be sensational, but doesn’t
always necessarily mean a post IS sensational, since extreme language can be justified in certain contexts (i.e. truly
extreme circumstances). Ultimately, you need to compare the post to the article context to determine if the language is
unnecessarily extreme.
 ● Sensational Examples
○ Shocking weather phenomenon could upend all of your summer plans → use of extreme language
(“shocking phenomenon”) not warranted given the content of the article is about incoming thunderstorms
○ Absolutely mind-blowing details in the latest version of Xbox’s NHL → use of extreme language (“absolutely
mind-blowing”) not warranted given the content of the article is about minor updates to an Xbox game

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○ The 21 most shocking and batshit crazy moments from Netflix’s Love Is Blind → cursing is paired with

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extreme language (“shocking and batshit crazy”) therefore this is considered sensationalist
○ Marvel Star Richard Madden Just Posted a Thirst Trap of Cosmic Proportions → use of extreme hyperbole
(“thirst trap of cosmic proportions”) makes this sensationalist
● Not Sensational Examples
○ Incoming thunderstorms are causing folks to move their backyard BBQs indoors → no extreme language
used
○ Xbox improves gameplay precision in latest version of NHL ’20 → no extreme language used

73 ne ○ The wartime hell that continues to unfold in Aleppo → use of “hell” is warranted given the content of the
article is about dangerous conditions in a war-torn city
○ Crowd cheers nonstop when high school principal joins step team for epic routine → post appropriately
describes the main message of the article
○ Oreo just released new limited-edition rainbow cookies and they’re gorgeous → accurately reflects the main
message of the article; “gorgeous” is not used in an extreme way 
Note: Cursing or swear words can be considered extreme language when used to sensationalize the link title.
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● If the link title uses curses / swearing in the course of quoting another person, this should not be counted as
sensational
● For our purposes, we do not consider “hell” to be a curse word

Formatting Cues
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Formatting Cues: Link titles, link descriptions, body texts, or preview photos/videos that use cues like CAPITALIZATION,
punctuation (i.e. >3 exclamation points !!!!!), or emojis (>3 of the same emoji, or >5 total emojis), in an unnecessary or
excessive way, to draw the eye to the post. When we talk about capitalization here, this often (but not always) happens
when capitalizing the extreme or exaggerated wording (such as “SHOCKING”)

Notes on capitalization: 
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● Capitalized acronyms, proper nouns, website names, number/time/price-related words, non-extreme

words/phrases and common phrases should NOT be considered sensationalist UNLESS paired with a core
subtype of sensationalism (exaggeration, extreme language, audience reaction, or behavioral directive) or paired
with a key withholding word/phrase (e.g. “REVEALED” or “THIS trick”)
● Posts with text that is fully capitalized or near-fully capitalized to match the formatting of the main content or
article headline on the external page should NOT be considered sensationalism.
● Please refer to the Clickbait guideline addendum for further detail & examples 

Examples

● Sensational Examples
○ He Holds the Patent that Could DESTROY Monsanto and Change the World!!!! →  capitalization of an
extreme word + excessive use of exclamation points
○ A Rescuer Turned this Pup Over Because of What They Saw on Her Belly. But Watch THIS... → capitalization
of key withholding word “THIS” used to draw the eye to the link title
 ○ Soccer player makes ASTONISHING claim about FC Barcelona → capitalization of extreme word
○ Fred VanVleet is about to get PAID!! 👀💰💰💰💰💰 #BetOnYourself → Excessive emojis
○ BespokeIND's Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 'Bandana' Goes SICKO MODE - Sneaker Freaker → extreme
language (“SICKO MODE”) paired with capitalization

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○ Harry & Meghan’s UK Accommodations have been REVEALED → capitalization of a key wilthholding word
“REVEALED” makes this sensational

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● Not Sensational Examples
○ The DON’T LOOK NOW podcast is live → this is an episode name so it would not be sensationalized
○ Be happy 😄💓 → the use of 2 emojis is not considered excessive, therefore this is not sensationalist
○ NEW Disney world discounts are HERE! → Capitalization of non-extreme, common words is not considered
sensational
○ Samir Nasri goes AWOL during home "training and 'refuses to contact' clubing and 'refuses to contact' club
" → capitalization of acronym (AWOL = absent without leave) is not considered sensationalist

73 ne ○ Australia's Biggest Brewer Says the Country Could Run Out of BEER in Three Months → capitalization of
non-extreme word (“BEER”) is not considered sensationalist
○ Dream Homes: This fancy north Co Dublin house has TWO gardens → capitalization of quantity-related
word is not considered sensationalist
○ Self-Isolation Bundle - 14 FREE Craft Projects → capitalization of price-related word is not considered
sensationalist
○ FULTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS PREPARE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION TO CONTINUE STUDENT
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INSTRUCTION THROUGH AT HOME BASIS, ASSOCIATED WITH VIRUS OUTBREAK → Text is fully capitalized
(which matches the formatting on the article), therefore it is not sensationalist

Audience Reaction

Audience Reaction: Link titles, link descriptions, body texts, or preview photos/videos that make assumptions or
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predictions about how you, the target audience, or another group of individuals, will react to the content.

● Sensational Examples
○ You’ll be astounded by how soap bubbles form → predicts that you will be astounded by the content
○ You won’t believe how many purses are in Kim Kardashian’s closet → assumes that you will not believe the
content
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○ Dog-owners’ lives will change once they learn about this grooming trick → predicts that dog-owners’ lives
will change based on the content
○ 17 hilariously weird wives that’ll make you go “I just don’t know what to say” → predicts that the audience
will react to the content in a specific way
● Not Sensational Examples
○ The Ancient Comet Atlas Arrives Again After 4,400 Years - Info to Worry About → presents the information
as generally worrying, but does not assume how the audience will react to it
○ Kim Kardashian’s closet is home to over 200 purses → does not make any predictions or suppositions
about the audience reaction to the content
○ My life changed when I learned how to properly groom my dog → first person description of the “life-
changing” experience does not predict how others will react

Behavioral Directive
 Behavioral Directive: Link titles, link descriptions, body texts, or preview photos/videos that gives a forceful behavioral
directives to or tell the reader to consume the content. 

Note: We only consider forceful directive specifically aimed at getting the user to click on the link as sensational. Posts
that contain directives to do something else (e.g. “You gotta get this bike”) are NOT considered sensational.

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● Sensational Examples

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○ Read all the way to the end to learn what happens. →  instructs the audience to “read all the way to the
end” without sharing any context as to what the link contains; this would also be considered
withholding (vague)
○ You have to watch this →  tells the readers that they “have to watch” the content without sharing any
context; this would also be considered withholding (vague)
○  A Photographer Spotted a Rare (and Indescribable) Natural Event ... It’s a Must See → describes the
content as a “must see”; this would also be considered withholding (singular, withheld detail)
○ Everyone should watch this to the end → asserts that “everyone should watch” the content; this would also

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○ Must see: Gigi Hadid's new apartment → describes the content as a “must see”
● Not Sensational Examples
○ Take a look at this article about the long-term effects of COVID-19 → “Take a look” is not considered
forceful 
○ Gigi Hadid’s new apartment exhibits colorful and eclectic interior design → Post describes the content
without directing anyone to consume it
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○ Visit our website to book your dream vacation → Post shares an action (e.g. visit a website) that readers can
take to achieve a goal (e.g. book a dream vacation)
○ Grilled cheese pizza sandwich recipe - WATCH VIDEO→ Posts that simply say “WATCH” or “VIDEO” or
“WATCH VIDEO” or “LIVE” should not be considered sensationalism, as this is a common practice for posts
with videos
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○ Feeding your baby Weetabix could prevent allergies later in life → Post shares a takeaway from the article
about the benefits of taking a certain action (in this case, feeding your baby Weetabix); however, this is
NOT a behavioral directive to consume the content of this specific post, therefore this is not sensational

Sensationalism Special Cases

● Words like BREAKING/UPDATED/DEVELOPING/JUST IN: sometimes non-sensational content legitimately uses
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this wording and capitalization to draw attention to the fact that there’s a newly developing story or an ongoing
story with new developments. You might notice these being used by, for example, local news outlets when
reporting a developing story about a crime. Just because a post uses these words and/or uses them in caps, does
not necessarily mean the link title is sensationalist. 
○ Sensational Example
■ BREAKING: Matt Damon’s unbelievable new campaign to get people clean water → uses exaggeration
“unbelievable” and formatting cues (capitalization of “BREAKING”) in a context that is not legitimate
(this is not truly a breaking news story)
○ Not Sensational Example
■ BREAKING: Local robbery suspect on the loose in downtown neighborhood → does not use
sensationalist tactics because the capitalization is justified
● Quotes: If the post is quoting someone, the quoted portion should not be used in your assessment. 
○ Not Sensational Example
 ■ “It was the MOST INSANE game I’ve ever played” says soccer star → does not use sensationalist tactics
● Strong Word Choice: Strong word choice alone does not make a post sensationalist. Posts that use 1) hyperbole,
2) unqualified superlatives (the best X ever) without evidence in the article or 3) strong word choice that clearly
exaggerates the main message of the article, should be considered sensationalist
○ Sensationalism Examples

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■ The Toughest ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ Quiz There Ever Was → use of unqualified superlative

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(“toughest...there ever was”) makes this sensationalist
■ Marvel Star Richard Madden Just Posted a Thirst Trap of Cosmic Proportions → use of extreme
hyperbole (“thirst trap of cosmic proportions”) makes this sensationalist
■ The ABSOLUTE BEST Brown Butter Browniess EVER → Use of the unqualified superlative “absolute
best” is considered exaggerating 
○ Not Sensationalism Examples
■ Inside Trump’s risky push to reopen the country amid the coronavirus crisis

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1
e ■ Guy who ‘trains UFC’ gets into crazy fight at Grand Central Station in NYC
■ Draymond Green sounds off on Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant in extremely candid interview

Sensationalism Response Options

A

Response Options
B

Use When...
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post does not meet any of the criteria outlined in this
2 No, not sensationalized document for sensationalism
I am unable to determine whether the link title uses
3 Unsure sensationalist tactics based on the criteria outlined in
these guidelines
post meets some/most/all of the criteria outlined in
4 Yes, is sensationalized this document for sensationalism

If you determine that the link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video is
nf

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sensationalized, please select what subtype of sensationalism applies

Link titles that are exaggerated or made to seem more

6 Exaggeration important than the article content really is

Link titles that include language that seems extreme

7 Extreme Language compared to most other link titles and article headlines

Link titles that include unnecessary or excessive

8 Formatting Cues capitalization or punctuation, like multiple exclamation
marks
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9 Audience Reaction Link titles that try to predict the audience’s reaction

10 Behavioral Directive Link titles that tell the reader to consume the article

Most link titles should fall under one of the subtypes

above. However, if there is a link title that does not
11 Other apply to any subtype, select "other" and explain what
you would call the link title category

12
If you determine that part of the post is withholding, please select where the withholding
occurs:

13 Link Title The title of the URL’s article as it’s shared on Facebook

The text underneath the link title that

14 Lin Description describes/previews the content of the article

The text of the FB post itself in the “composer box” on

15 Body Text Facebook

The image that appears as part of the link preview in

16 Preview Photo/Video the post
 General Exceptions
● Missing People Posts: Posts that seek help to find missing/abducted people, missing/stolen pets, or
missing/stolen property should automatically be classified as not withholding and not sensational given the

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serious nature of the content. Note: this exception does not apply to satire, figures of speech, trolling or posts
that rely on the missing person reference to create a curiosity gap.

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○ Violating Examples
■ You’ll never guess why Hillary Clinton has gone missing from politics! → Figure of speech used to
withhold a key detail; sensational due to predicting of the audience reaction (“you’ll never guess”)
■ You’ll never guess where this missing child was found! → This is not about seeking help finding a
missing child but rather a post that withholds information about where a missing child was found;
sensational due to predicting of the audience reaction (“you’ll never guess”)
■ These thieves stole a church’s property and police found them in a really funny way! → Not about

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found the thieves; not sensational
○ Not Violating Examples
■ Help us find this missing child → not withholding, not sensational
■ Police searching for missing person → not withholding, not sensational
■ Person requests help searching for missing pet → not withholding, not sensational
■ This famous man went missing and police need your help → not withholding, not sensational
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■ Citizen seeks help with finding stolen property → not withholding, not sensational
● Proper Nouns: If the link title, link description, body text, or preview photo/video is a proper noun such as a song
name (or song name + artist name), film name, podcast series name, proper noun blog series names, or proper
noun photo series / photo galleries names, title of podcast episode, book title, etc., AND does not include other
verbiage, they should not be tagged as withholding information or sensationalist
○ Not Violating Examples
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■ “This American Life” by NPR → not withholding, not sensational (title of series)

■ “The Tim Ferriss Show” → not withholding, not sensational (podcast series name) 
■ “Kristin’s Life Musings” → not withholding, not sensational (blog title)
□ Oftentimes, blog titles or series names or similar will be offset with a vertical line in the title
such as, “Kristin’s Life Musings | Trip to Germany Was Amazing”
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● Social Media/Sharing Sites: 

○ Spotify, Soundcloud, and Pandora (and similar) shares that include song titles / artist names → does not
withhold information or sensationalize
○ Giphy, imgur, and similar photo sharing link titles typically do not withhold info or sensationalize
■ However, if a photo sharing site’s title does explicitly create a curiosity gap (or use sensationalist
tactics), then it should be categorized as such 
○ Twitter titles, Instagram titles → typically does not withhold information or sensationalize
○ Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and similar → typically does not withhold information (titles or names for
fundraising campaigns) or sensationalize
○ Pinterest pinboards should be handled on a case-by-case basis - some entities use Pinterest (and similar
platforms) to gain traffic via clickbait-y titles.
○ YouTube titles should also be handled on a case-by-case basis - some entities use YouTube (and similar
platforms like Vimeo, etc.) to gain traffic via clickbait-y titles.
 Cannot Evaluate
If you are unable to evaluate the post/webpage, please indicate the reason why in the final question. 

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A B

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1 Response Option Use When
Webpage includes content that depicts pornography or sexually
suggestive images/videos (note: nudity that is not sexualized
should not be tagged here - e.g., breastfeeding photos, photos of
people after reconstructive surgery)

Webpage includes content that is violent or macabre (e.g.,

deceased people) or depicts content that is disturbing in terms of
site contains being ”gross” (e.g., pictures of infections)
objectionable content
2 (hatefulness, graphic /
violent content, nudity / Webpage includes content (text/images/videos) that is hateful,

73 ne pornography) hate-speech, or geared towards inciting hateful attitudes

towards a group of people or a person (i.e., this could include
racism, sexism, ageism, or any other hate speech directed at
specific people or groups but can be more broadly defined
hatefulness that doesn’t fit into particular ’hate speech’
classifications). This includes ads

This includes ads

Use when the link is broken or takes you to a page where there is
no content or the content won’t fully load (for example, the site
itself loads, but an embedded video on the site won’t load for
any reason)
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3
link broken or malicious
or site content won’t load
**You may also use this when the link is blocked for suspicion of
being malicious

4
not in correct queue Use this when the link title or article/content is not in the
language language for the queue you’re working in
nf

Select this either when SRT does not render a title or when there
is something written in the title area in SRT but it is not readable

5
no title in SRT or title not
readable Here, ”not readable” means that the title is in weird characters
and not letters or title renders as a url/link addres
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site paywalled or Select this when the site requires you to subscribe or complete a
6 requires action to access survey or ”Like” their Page (or otherwise requires you to take
content some action before you can access the content)

site blocked with non- Select this when the site’s content is blocked by a pop-up that
7 dismissible pop-up (e.g., can’t be dismissed (but doesn’t ask you to take a specific action -
an ad) and example here is an ad that can’t be closed out of)

Full Post Clickbait Examples

Withholding

● Withholding (celebrity) in the body text and link description. Link to article
 ○

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● Withholding (singular, withheld detail) in the body text and link title. Link to article

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● Withholding (singular, withheld detail) in the body text and link title. Link to article

○
nf
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Sensationalism

● Sensationalism (forceful behavioral directive) in the link title due to the incentive to click to claim 100,000 bonus
points as well as sensationalism (formatting cues) in the link description due to the selective capitalization a key
words

● Sensationalism (extreme language, formatting cues) in the body text (“NIGHTMARE!!!!!”) and link title (“INSANE”)
 ○

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FAQs

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1. What if I get an error or nothing renders at all in SRT?
a. Leave the responses and text box blank. Click the advance arrow at the very bottom of the page to go to
the next item to see if it’s an isolated error.
i. If the next item renders in SRT, then please resume your work.
ii. If the next post does not render, please click the bottom right advance arrow one more time to see if

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it’s just a couple of errors.
1. If the next item renders in SRT, then please resume your work.
2. If the next post is also an error, please escalate this issue to your project lead
2. What if the link is broken or blocked because it might be malicious?
ea. Please select the appropriate checkbox to reflect this (e.g. “Link broken or malicious or site content will not
load")
b. If you are >90% certain that the link title clearly withholds information or uses sensationalist tactics and
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you don’t need to confirm via the article that this is the case, then please classify as you’re able. However, if
you need to be able to see the full article to know if the link title withholds/sensationalizes information
and the link is broken/malicious, please leave the first two questions blank and select the appropriate
checkbox (e.g. “Link broken or malicious or site content will not load")
3. What if the link requires a log-in to access or is behind a paywall (or wants me to take a survey or is otherwise
blocked and not accessible)?
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a. Please select the appropriate checkbox to reflect the situation you’re running into (e.g. “Site paywalled &
requires log-in, subscription, or other action to access content”
b. If you are >90% certain that the link title clearly withholds information  or uses sensationalist tactics and
you don’t need to confirm via the article that this is the case, then please classify as you’re able. However, if
you need to be able to see the full article to know if the link title withholds/sensationalizes information
and the link is broken/malicious, please leave the first two questions blank and select the appropriate
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checkbox (e.g. “Site paywalled & requires log-in, subscription, or other action to access content”
4. What if the link I’m directed to is gated / blocked (but not by log-in or paywall - for example, a pop up that can’t
be exited)?
a. Please select the appropriate checkbox to reflect this (e.g. “Site blocked with non-dismissible pop-up (e.g.,
an ad”))
b. If you are >90% certain that the link title clearly withholds/sensationalizes information and you don’t need
to confirm via the article that this is the case, then please classify as you’re able. However, if you need to be
able to see the full article to know if the link title withholds/sensationalizes information and the link is
broken/malicious, please leave the first two questions blank and select the appropriate checkbox (e.g. “Site
blocked with non-dismissible pop-up (e.g., an ad”)