Video Hook Bank
The first 15 seconds decide your retention. This hook bank gives you proven opening formulas with fill-in examples so you never stare at a blank cold open or settle for a weak intro again.
YouTube & VideoPDF + CSV5 sectionsfree, no paywall
What you get
- A library of proven hook formulas by type and use case
- Fill-in examples so you adapt each formula to your video fast
- A space to bank your own best-performing openers
- Editable CSV of swipe-ready hooks plus a branded print-ready PDF
How to use this template
- 1. Pick a formula by goal. Match the hook type to your video, such as curiosity for tutorials or stakes for challenges and experiments.
- 2. Write three versions. Draft three hooks using different formulas so you can compare which opening earns the click on its own.
- 3. Say them out loud. Read each hook aloud against b-roll. The one that makes a stranger want the payoff wins.
- 4. Bank the winners. After publishing, log hooks that drove strong early retention so your next cold open starts from proven patterns.
Still choosing the tool you will run this in? Compare two side by side, or read how each profile is built in our review methodology.
What's inside
2 of 5 sections shown; the remaining 3 come with the free download.
What is a video hook?
A video hook is the opening line and shot that give someone a reason to keep watching. It usually states a result, a stake or a claim inside the first fifteen seconds. A hook bank is a saved library of those opening patterns with examples, so you adapt a proven shape instead of starting from nothing.
Anyone who freezes at the top of a script will use this most. Drafting three openings from different patterns and reading them aloud takes five minutes, and it reliably beats the first idea, which is usually a throat-clearing introduction about who you are and what the channel does.
Hook formula library
Proven opening patterns. Adapt the example to your video and test a few before filming.
| Hook type | Formula | Example | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Result tease | Here is what happened when I [action] | Here is what happened when I filmed for 30 days straight | Challenges, experiments |
| Bold claim | Everything you know about [topic] is wrong | Everything you know about lighting is wrong | Myth-busting, tutorials |
3 more sections and the PDF + CSV are behind the free download.
Tools that help with this
The template does the thinking; these are the products creators run it in. The full software directory has the rest.
Jasper
Jasper is an AI writing platform built for marketing teams and content creators who need on-brand copy at scale.
$69/mo
Copy.ai
Copy.ai is an AI writing platform that generates marketing copy, email sequences, social media posts, and sales outreach using multiple large language models including GPT-4 and Claude.
$29/mo
Opus Clip
Opus Clip is an AI video clipping tool that turns long-form videos into short, social-ready clips for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels.
$0/mo
StreamLadder
StreamLadder is an AI tool that finds the best moments in your Twitch, YouTube or Kick streams and turns them into vertical clips for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
$0/mo
Categories to browse: AI Writing Tools, Content Repurposing Tools.
Frequently asked questions
What is a video hook?
A hook is the first line and shot of a video, the part that earns the next ten seconds. Strong hooks name a result, a stake or a specific claim straight away rather than introducing the host or the channel.
What makes a good video hook?
A good hook states the payoff, stakes, or a bold claim in the first 15 seconds and opens a curiosity loop the rest of the video closes. It should make a stranger want the outcome enough to keep watching.
How many hook variations should I write?
Write at least three using different formulas, then read them aloud against your opening footage. Comparing variations consistently produces a stronger cold open than committing to your first idea.
How long should a hook be?
Twelve to fifteen seconds for long-form, about three for a Short or a Reel. If the payoff is not clear by then viewers leave, and that early drop is the hardest part of a retention graph to recover.
Can I reuse a hook that worked before?
Reuse the pattern, not the wording. A shape that worked once, such as naming a price and a result, tends to keep working, but repeating the exact sentence makes a channel sound like it is reading from a form.