Lede grader
Paste a product-story opening and see whether it names the product, the job, and the reader — plus word count, sentence length, and filler.
What does the lede grader check?
It reads the first paragraph you paste and reports word count, sentence length, whether the product job shows up early, how often the draft says “we,” and which stock openers it still contains. Nothing is uploaded. The check runs in your browser.
Paste an opening to grade it.
How to use it
Paste the opening paragraph, not the whole article.
Read the checklist before you rewrite. A failed row is a specific cut, not a score to game.
Aim for 40 to 80 words, the product’s job in the first sentence, and no stock opener.
The grader does not know your product. If it says the job is unclear, a stranger will likely say the same.
Questions
Does this send my draft to a server?
No. The counts and the checklist run in the browser on the text in the box. Closing the tab clears it.
What is a stock opener?
A phrase that could sit on any product page: “in today’s world,” “we are excited,” “it’s no secret,” “game-changer,” “in this article.” They delay the product.
Why flag the word “we”?
A few uses are normal. A pile of them means the paragraph is about the company, not about the reader’s job. The grader counts them so you can see the tilt.