It by definition is a slippery concept, since the whole concept of &quot;bait&quot; requires an element of deception.<p>Two quick rules of thumb will take you a long way though.<p>1) Titles where the reader is referred to in the second person, meaning they have the word &quot;You&quot; in them.<p>2) Titles that use imprecise emotional&#x2F;colloquial phrases and speculation instead of the factual crux of the article. Doubly so when the title describes the feeling or consequence that the unstated subject will theoretically inspire.