This study reports a benzothiazole-based fluorescent probe with simple structure for thiols. This probe exhibited high on/off signal ratios and good selectivity toward thiols over other analytes, and was successfully applied to the imaging of thiols in living cells. ... This Letter discloses a benzothiazole-based fluorescent probe for thiols, which exhibited high on/off signal ratios and good selectivity toward thiols over other analytes, and was successfully applied to the ...