Social Media Hook Generator
Generate 5 scroll-stopping hooks for TikTok, LinkedIn, X & YouTube. Pick from 5 proven copywriting frameworks — each hook comes with a viral score.
Hook Generator
Paste your content, pick a platform and framework, then get 5 scroll-stopping hooks.
Your scroll-stopping hooks will appear here
Paste your content, pick a platform and hook framework, then generate 5 engaging opening lines with viral scores.
Free Viral Hook Generator — Stop the Scroll
1. Paste Your Content
Copy and paste the content or describe the topic (minimum 200 characters). The AI analyzes it to find the best angle for your hooks.
2. Pick Platform & Framework
Select your target platform (TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube) and choose from 5 proven hook frameworks like Curiosity Gap or Contrarian.
3. Copy & Post
Get 5 hook variations with viral scores, word counts, and one-click copy. Use the highest-scoring hook or A/B test multiple options.
The 2-Second Rule: Why Your Hook Is Everything
On social media, you have approximately 2 seconds to capture attention before a user scrolls past your content. This "2-second window" is what separates viral posts from invisible ones. The first line of your caption, the opening frame of your video, or the headline of your tweet — that's your hook. Everything else is secondary.
The problem is that most people spend 90% of their time crafting the body of their content and only 10% on the hook. The math should be reversed. A mediocre post with a killer hook will always outperform a brilliant post with a weak opening.
The Psychology Behind Scroll-Stopping Hooks
Three psychological principles make hooks irresistible. Curiosity gaps exploit the brain's need to close open loops — when you hint at a secret without revealing it, the reader physically cannot stop themselves from reading more. Negative constraints ("Don't do this", "Stop making this mistake") trigger loss aversion, which is twice as powerful as the promise of gain. Specificity — using exact numbers, names, or data points — makes claims more believable and attention-grabbing than vague promises.
5 Proven Copywriting Frameworks
The Curiosity Gap creates an open loop the reader needs to close — "This one mistake cost me $50K." The Contrarian framework challenges conventional wisdom with a bold take — "Posting daily is destroying your brand." The "Illegal" Hack frames information as a hidden secret — "This SEO trick should be illegal." Pain Point hooks hit an emotional nerve — "Tired of creating content nobody sees?" And the Listicle / Guide framework promises specific value — "3 steps to 10x your LinkedIn reach."
Platform-Specific Hook Strategies
TikTok & Reels demand ultra-short, high-energy hooks that work as spoken word — think 5-8 words maximum. "POV: you just discovered this..." LinkedIn rewards professional insight and data-driven hooks — slightly longer, more authoritative. X (Twitter) favors sharp wit, hot takes, and provocative observations that invite debate. YouTube needs title-style hooks that work as thumbnails and create enough curiosity to earn a click.
Understanding the Viral Score
Every generated hook receives a Viral Score from 0–100, calculated entirely on the frontend using proven engagement heuristics. The algorithm evaluates word count (shorter is stronger), power word usage (words like "secret," "hack," "warning"), number inclusion, question marks, contrast/negation patterns, emoji usage, and platform-appropriate length. Scores of 75+ indicate a hook with high viral potential.
Explore More Writing Tools
The Hook Generator is part of Elevato's AI Writing Suite, a collection of 15+ free writing tools. Generate full articles with the AI Article Writer, craft click-worthy headlines with the AI Title Generator, or optimize your search snippets with the Meta Description Generator.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A hook is the first 1–2 sentences of your social media post, video, or caption — the "opening line" that determines whether someone stops scrolling or keeps going. Research shows you have roughly 2 seconds to capture attention on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, making the hook the single most important part of any post.
Curiosity Gap creates an open loop the reader needs to close. Contrarian challenges a common belief. The "Illegal" Hack frames your tip as a hidden secret. Pain Point hits an emotional nerve and promises escape. Listicle / Guide promises a specific number of actionable steps.
The Viral Score is a 0–100 heuristic calculated on the frontend (no AI needed) based on proven engagement signals: word count, power words, numbers, questions, contrast/negation, emojis, and platform-appropriate length. Scores of 75+ are marked "Viral", 50+ as "Strong", and 30+ as "Decent".
Each platform has a different culture, attention span, and content format. TikTok needs ultra-short, high-energy hooks (under 10 words). LinkedIn favors professional insight with slightly longer hooks. X (Twitter) rewards wit and hot takes. YouTube needs title-style hooks optimized for thumbnails. The AI adjusts its output accordingly.
Yes! The Hook Generator is completely free with no signup, no account, and no hidden fees. Use it as often as you need, subject to fair-use rate limits.
Good hooks exploit three psychological principles: Curiosity gaps (the brain needs to close open loops), negative constraints ("Don't do this" grabs more attention than "Do this"), and specificity (numbers and concrete claims are more believable than vague promises). The 5 frameworks in this tool are built on these principles.
Each generation produces 5 distinct hooks, all following your chosen framework and platform. This gives you enough variety to test different angles and pick the one that resonates most with your audience.
Yes! Select Auto-detect to generate hooks in the same language as your content, or manually choose from 15 languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and more.