47 Best Hooks for Viral Short-Form Videos (Proven Templates)

Your hook has less than one second to capture attention. That's it. One second between your video being watched or scrolled past.

After analyzing thousands of viral videos across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, we compiled the 47 most effective hook templates that consistently drive high retention.

Why Hooks Matter More Than Ever

The data is clear:

• Videos with strong hooks have 3-5x higher completion rates
• The first second determines 70% of your video's performance
• A great hook can make average content go viral
• A weak hook will kill even the best content

Curiosity Hooks

These create an information gap that viewers need to close:

1. "Nobody talks about this, but..."
2. "I was today years old when I learned..."
3. "The reason why [common thing] is actually [unexpected]..."
4. "What they don't tell you about [topic]..."
5. "This is the [thing] that [famous person] uses..."
6. "I found out something disturbing about [common thing]..."
7. "Scientists just discovered that [shocking fact]..."
8. "The truth about [popular belief] will shock you..."

Authority Hooks

Position yourself as credible from the first word:

9. "As a [profession] with [X] years experience..."
10. "I've [impressive achievement] and here's what I learned..."
11. "After studying [X] for [time], here's the truth..."
12. "I spent $[amount] testing this so you don't have to..."
13. "I analyzed [large number] of [things] and found..."

Challenge Hooks

Dare the viewer to keep watching:

14. "I bet you didn't know this about [topic]..."
15. "Most people get this wrong..."
16. "Stop scrolling if you [target audience]..."
17. "You're doing [common activity] wrong. Here's why."
18. "If you [common trait], you need to hear this..."

Storytelling Hooks

Pull viewers into a narrative:

19. "This is the story of how I [unexpected outcome]..."
20. "Last week something happened that changed everything..."
21. "I never thought I'd say this, but..."
22. "Three months ago I was [bad situation]. Now..."
23. "Let me tell you about the worst mistake I ever made..."

Listicle Hooks

Promise organized, digestible value:

24. "5 things I wish I knew before [common milestone]..."
25. "3 signs that [relatable situation]..."
26. "The top [X] [things] that [outcome], ranked..."
27. "Here are [X] [things] that will [desirable outcome]..."

Controversial Hooks

Spark debate and comments (use responsibly):

28. "[Popular thing] is actually terrible. Here's why."
29. "Unpopular opinion: [controversial take]..."
30. "I'm going to get hate for this, but..."
31. "Everyone loves [thing] but nobody talks about [downside]..."

Visual Pattern Interrupts

Not just words — actions that stop the scroll:

32. Start with a dramatic zoom or camera movement
33. Flash text on screen before speaking
34. Begin mid-action (already doing something interesting)
35. Use unexpected visuals that contrast with the topic

Emotional Hooks

Trigger an immediate emotional response:

36. "This broke my heart when I found out..."
37. "The most inspiring thing I've ever seen..."
38. "Warning: this will make you rethink everything..."
39. "I still can't believe this is real..."

How-To Hooks

Promise practical, immediate value:

40. "Here's how to [desirable outcome] in [short time]..."
41. "The easiest way to [solve common problem]..."
42. "Do this every morning and watch what happens..."
43. "One simple trick to [impressive result]..."

Trend-Jacking Hooks

Ride the wave of what's already working:

44. "The [trending topic] nobody is talking about..."
45. "I tried the [viral trend] and here's what happened..."
46. "Why everyone is suddenly [trending behavior]..."
47. "[Current event] is about to change [relevant topic] forever..."

How to Use These Templates

1. Pick 3-5 hooks that match your niche
2. Customize them with your specific topic and angle
3. Test variations — the same content with different hooks can have wildly different results
4. Track performance — save your top-performing hooks and reuse the patterns
5. Combine formats — curiosity + authority hooks are especially powerful

Pro Tip: Let AI Write Your Hooks

When you use FluxNote to generate videos, the AI automatically crafts hooks optimized for retention. It analyzes what's working in your chosen template category and generates scripts with proven hook patterns built in.

This means every video you create starts with a scroll-stopping opener — no copywriting experience needed.

The Formula

The best hooks follow this pattern:

[Attention grab] + [Promise/curiosity gap] + [Relevance to viewer]

Example: "Nobody talks about this" (attention) + "but this one habit" (curiosity) + "is why you're always tired" (relevance).

Master hooks, and you've mastered short-form content. The rest is execution — and that's what AI tools are for.