“Cybersecurity experts shocked! This simple trick will protect you from clickbaiting!” That’s pretty much the headline we’d use if we were trying to lure you into reading this article — only to then force you into scrolling through page after page until you reach the promised information that you simply shouldn’t click sensational headlines. But don’t worry — our extensive article on clickbaiting, the associated dangers, and how you can shield yourself with Avira Secure Browser does nothing of the sort. That’s a promise!
What is clickbaiting?
We’ve all done it at some point: You clicked a seemingly interesting headline because you just had to know what was behind the sensational title. But by the time you finally reached the completely unremarkable big reveal of the promised story, you’ve already clicked ‘next’ what felt like a hundred times — and scrolled past almost as many ads. Congratulations — you’ve just walked straight into a classic clickbait trap.
Clickbaiting refers to online content that uses sensational headlines and teasers that are designed to grab the attention of the internet audience and get them to bite — in other words, bait them into clicking. The sole purpose is to get users to click an article, a listicle, a video, or a picture gallery — and ideally also to like, comment on, share, or forward it.
Clickbaiting is usually employed as part of a marketing strategy where creators aim to drive more traffic to their website and maximize the reach of their content. That’s because the more page visits and clicks a website receives, and the longer users stick around, the more ads they can show and the more money they make.
Sometimes, though, clickbaiting is used not only to generate clicks but also to gain subscribers. In this case, the content advertised with a clickbait headline is behind a paywall, which you can only access by taking out a paid subscription.
Clickbait methods and strategies
Essentially, there are two types of clickbait. The first uses fair or ethical clickbait, while the second uses manipulative, mostly misleading clickbait. Even reputable media outlets, websites, and content creators naturally try to design their headlines in a way that sparks readers’ interest and curiosity. Compared to misleading “bad” clickbait articles, this first type of content actually delivers on the promise of its headline and is of a higher quality — even if the headline uses typical clickbait elements and leans towards exaggeration.
That said, the term clickbait generally carries a negative connotation and is used mostly for teasers and thumbnails that lead to content with no real informational value or material that has little to nothing to do with the topic promised in the headline. Often, the content in question is also spread across multiple individual pages to drive up the number of clicks.
Most of the linked articles are of low journalistic quality, and some are outright pure fiction — or fake news. As if this wasn’t bad enough, these articles are increasingly being supplemented with AI-generated images — in some cases even with deepfakes in the form of fake videos or manipulated images of celebrities.
Clickbait can also lead to product pages or pseudo-editorial content that pushes product recommendations or placements for diet pills, anti-aging creams, nutritional supplements, dubious investment platforms, or a whole bunch of other questionable offerings.
Clickbait usually appears within an editorial environment — for example, on news sites below an article — often labeled as recommended articles, sponsored content, or Outbrain/Taboola ads. And of course, clickbait is everywhere on social‑media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. It’s a staple of the attention economy, even though most platforms have been trying to crack down on it for years.
Clickbait giveaways
Clickbait relies on specific wording, keywords, phrases, and linguistic tricks — and is usually fairly easy to spot.
The headings
- are formulated in a sensationalist, exaggerated, arousing, or provocative way
- tap into powerful emotions such as fear, horror, outrage, anger, disgust, surprise, joy, emotion, or compassion
- promise incredible or life-changing news and insights, exclusive information, quick fixes to a problem, useful tips & tricks, unique opportunities, a dramatic reveal, and so on
- are vague on purpose, omitting key details to generate suspense
- play with ambiguity and cheeky hints
- raise expectations that the corresponding content does not fulfill
- are littered with punctuation marks, capital letters, and superlatives
- use a direct, informal form of address
Clickbait examples
The competition for our attention and the chase for clicks take on increasingly bizarre forms — as the clickbait examples below clearly show. That’s because in the flood of digital content, increasingly extreme stimuli are needed to generate attention. This is resulting in clickbait headlines becoming increasingly dramatic, peculiar, or absurd.
“This woman has revealed a secret — you’ll be shocked and will never do THAT again.”
“This child just wanted to play in the garden — but what happened next will change your view of gardens FOREVER.”
“You won’t believe what [celebrity XYZ] looks like today.”
“She gave birth — what happened next made everyone cry.”
“Doctors stunned: This home remedy melts away belly fat overnight!”
“With this simple trick you can save hundreds every month — it’s genius!”
“Shocking! The secret your doctors won’t tell you.”
“Banks hate him — this trick turned a family man into a millionaire overnight.”
“These 5 foods will ruin your health. Number 3 will leave you speechless!”
Why is clickbaiting so effective?
Although the term is relatively new, the principle behind clickbaiting didn’t begin with the internet age or the emergence of online journalism. Even the early tabloid press around 1900 used attention-grabbing headlines on their front pages to encourage customers to buy their newspapers.
That’s because clickbait creates what’s referred to as a curiosity gap or information gap, meaning it deliberately withholds just enough information to make you feel like you must click to fill in the missing piece — just like a cliffhanger at the end of a series. In some cases, you even know the content that follows is going to be a huge disappointment — but you click anyway. On top of that, clickbait loves to exploit your FOMO (fear of missing out) — especially when it hints at life-changing secrets you simply must know.
Other psychological mechanisms, such as cognitive dissonance, also play a role. When a headline claims something that contradicts our previous experiences or expectations, we feel an inner urge to verify the information.
Furthermore, clickbait headlines often use emotionally charged language to grab the reader’s attention. Words like “unbelievable” and “shocking” or phrases like “you won’t believe what happens next” trigger an immediate emotional response, significantly increasing the likelihood of a click. Emotional content activates the limbic system, the part of our brain responsible for processing emotions. When clickbait appeals to this system, we react faster and more impulsively — usually long before we pause and ask ourselves if the content even makes sense.
Is clickbait dangerous?
In most cases, clickbait isn’t dangerous — it just robs you of your time. That said, some cybercriminals take advantage of clickbait to lure curious users to websites infected with malware. Among other things, this could be hidden in a free download or it could slip silently onto your device during a drive-by download.
Clickbait also poses a danger when it’s used fraudulently, leading to offers that promise vast profits through Bitcoin investments or similar. These offers are often advertised in the name of celebrities who actually have nothing to do with them. Clickbait scammers try to trick users into registering and investing on fake investment platforms by making false promises of profit. Fake dashboards are then used to display profits already achieved, which don’t actually exist.
This is also known as social engineering — a type of scam that uses psychological manipulation and exploits human weaknesses.
H2 How can you protect yourself from the dangers of clickbaiting? So now you know how to spot clickbait and avoid falling for it. But if you’re in doubt, how do you know whether the page you are directed to is harmless or dangerous? Inspect the website, as described in our article. Better still, have a browser check the URL automatically — a far more convenient, reliable, and effective method.
Avira Secure Browser takes the work off your hands, helping you block malicious websites, ads, and downloads — for free. The browser doesn’t just identify known threats but also new or previously undiscovered dangers. When you access a web address (URL), the browser checks it against a long list of malicious websites and also scans for potentially harmful content. Unlike conventional browsers, Avira’s browser also boasts various features that help you strengthen your online privacy. It makes sense to switch — and not simply to protect yourself from clickbait dangers.