I keep a little list of things we have asked a product title to carry.
The product name. The variant. A dimension. A material. A compatibility hint. Delivery information. A promotion. Sometimes a hopeful adjective for good measure.
At a certain point, it stops being a title and becomes a suitcase somebody has sat on to close.
A title does need enough information to identify the item. The precise balance depends on the catalogue and the place where the title appears. A search listing may provide little supporting context. A product page has more room.
That is why I like reviewing the title in those actual contexts rather than debating it in a spreadsheet alone.
Which characteristic distinguishes this version from the one next to it? Which words help a customer recognise the item? Which details are better shown in a specification table or an availability message?
For a family of similar handles, the length and mounting type might belong in the label. A conditional compatibility explanation probably needs more room than a compressed phrase can provide.
Otherwise the title becomes both difficult to scan and too small to explain the condition safely.
A colleague once suggested putting “see details” in the title after we had squeezed out most of the details. Fair comment. We had reached the stage where our attempt at completeness was becoming a small administrative joke.
I would write the identifying title first, then read the page underneath it. Can the customer find the decisive dimensions? Is availability clear? Is there a place for the application notes? Does an uncertain visitor know what to ask?
If those pieces are missing, fix them. Do not keep making the title responsible for everything.
The same idea applies to advertisements and feeds. Check the space, the supporting information and the way variants appear together. A title that works on the page may need careful presentation elsewhere.
This takes a little coordination with the people maintaining the catalogue, which can be fiddly as hell. It is still better than sending them a new title convention that solves one view and confuses three others.
A good label starts the decision. The rest of the page should help finish it.
A thought worth keeping?
