Purpose This study aims to describe the critical literacy of online newsreaders on the viva.co.id website in dealing with clickbait news. Critical literacy is oriented to the critical power of online newsreaders by analyzing, evaluating and reflecting on the relationship of online newsreaders, texts and social and political contexts. This research will focus on the type of clickbait exaggeration or news headlines that use exaggeration. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative method with a descriptive approach. The purpose of quantitative research is to provide information on a situation by using scientific procedures to answer a question in an actual way (Sugiyono, 2010). Scientific observation is carried out carefully to obtain accurate results on a phenomenon. This study presents an overview of the situation or a phenomenon regarding the critical literacy of online newsreaders on the viva.co.id website in dealing with clickbait titles in Surabaya. The population in this study were all online newsreaders entitled clickbait on the viva.co.id website, where the number of online newsreaders on the viva.co.id website was not known. Sampling in this study used the Lemeshow formula (Lemeshow, 1997, as cited in Priyambodo, 2019). This formula determines the number of samples if the population is not known. Based on the calculation using the Lemeshow formula, it can be seen that the minimum sample size required is 96 respondents who are rounded up to 100 respondents with a 95% confidence level. Findings Based on the findings of the data recapitulation of the overall dimensions of critical literacy, this study shows that newsreaders entitled clickbait on the website viva.co.id have critical literacy skills that fall into the high category with an overall average of 4.07. This finding shows positive results because critical literacy skills are skills needed by newsreaders entitled clickbait on the website viva.co.id. Currently, online news is very much in number, and it may be that the news is not by the existing facts; therefore, this ability is considered very important because, with this ability, the reader can find out the ideology or interests that affect a news publication (Priyatni, 2010). Research limitations/implications This research only uses an online news provider, namely, viva.co.id, it is an Indonesia-based online news provider that covers all news subjects. Practical implications This study will give understanding about the use of critical literacy to prevent negative impact on clickbait and is very useful for all online newsreaders, information practitioners and scientists. Originality/value The use of critical literacy to assess online news is rarely studied in Indonesia, especially when dealing with clickbait news that can harm or bring disadvantages for readers. So, this study is very important to help readers to prevent clickbait news.