How Do I Write a Good Hook for a YouTube Video? Formulas and Worked Examples
A good YouTube hook does three jobs in a few sentences: it confirms the promise of your title and thumbnail, shows why the viewer should believe you, and tells them where the video is going. The quickest way to write one is to pick a hook formula that suits your video type, fill it in with specifics from your own video, then cut every word that delays the point.
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This guide is about the writing itself: five formulas, worked examples for different kinds of videos, and a simple way to test your draft. If you want the wider picture of editing your opening, see our guide on how to hook viewers in the first 30 seconds.
What a hook has to do
YouTube Studio measures your opening directly. Its "Intro" figure shows the percentage of your audience still watching after the first 30 seconds, and YouTube's own help page says a high figure can mean the opening matched what viewers expected from the thumbnail and title (YouTube Help). So the hook is not a separate trick bolted onto the front. It is the first proof that the click was worth it.
A simple structure that covers this is Promise, Proof, Path:
- Promise: say, in plain words, what the viewer gets. Ideally it echoes the title.
- Proof: one line or one shot that makes the promise believable (a result, a screen recording, a specific detail).
- Path: a short signal of where the video goes next, so the viewer knows the payoff is coming.
Start with the content, not a greeting. A cold open, where the first line is already part of the video's substance, is usually stronger than "Hi, welcome back".
Five hook formulas you can fill in
Each formula below is a template. Swap in the specifics of your own video.
- The specific number. "I [did X] for [specific time or amount], and [specific result]." Specific figures feel real; round ones feel invented. Only use numbers that are true.
- The contradiction. "Everyone says [common advice]. In my experience, [the opposite or a twist]." It works when you can back the twist up later in the video.
- The mistake. "Most people [doing X] make this one mistake, and it costs them [consequence]." Viewers stay to check whether they are making it.
- The reveal in progress. Open in the middle of the action: "This is the moment it went wrong." Then rewind to explain how you got there.
- The question the viewer has already asked. Say the exact question they typed into search: "Why does my [thing] keep [problem]?" It confirms they are in the right place within one line.
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Worked examples by video type
Here is how the formulas look when written out for different kinds of videos. Each one follows Promise, Proof, Path.
Tutorial or how-to
Formula: the question the viewer has already asked.
"Why do your audio levels jump around between clips? It's usually one setting, and I'll show you where it is in the next minute. After that, two more fixes for the noise you can still hear."
Promise (fix jumpy audio), proof (it's one setting, shown on screen), path (the next minute, then two more fixes).
Product review
Formula: the contradiction.
"This is the camera every beginner list recommends. After using it for my last ten videos, I'd only buy it if you shoot indoors. Here's what happens outdoors."
The contradiction gives tension; the "last ten videos" detail is the proof. Only claim usage you actually have.
Story or vlog
Formula: the reveal in progress.
[Shot of a flat tyre at the roadside] "We're 200 miles from the campsite, it's getting dark, and this is our only spare. Let me rewind to this morning."
The viewer now has an open question (do they make it?) that the rest of the video answers.
Explainer or list video
Formula: the mistake.
"Most people who start a savings pot pick the account with the highest headline rate, and miss the condition that cancels it. I'll go through three accounts and show you exactly where that condition hides."
Note the promise is narrow and checkable. Explainers lose people when the hook is vague ("Today we're talking about saving money").
Personal results or case study
Formula: the specific number.
"I posted every day for 30 days. Two videos did most of the work, and they had one thing in common. I'll show you both, then what I changed afterwards."
If your result is modest, say so. An honest small number is more believable than a big vague one.
Common hook mistakes
- Greeting, logo or sponsor read before substance. These spend seconds on nothing the viewer clicked for. Move them later.
- A hook that doesn't match the thumbnail. If the thumbnail shows a finished room, the first shot should show the finished room or a glimpse of it.
- Promising more than the video delivers. It may hold people briefly, but the drop comes later and viewers remember it.
- Explaining everything up front. The hook should create a reason to watch the next part, not summarise the whole video.
- Writing the hook first. Many creators find it easier to write and record the intro last, once they know what the video actually shows.
How to test your hook before you publish
- Read it aloud and time it. Most of the Promise, Proof, Path structure should land well inside the first 30 seconds.
- Put it next to your title and thumbnail. Would a stranger see them as the same promise?
- Underline the specifics. If there are no names, numbers, places or concrete outcomes, the hook is probably too vague.
- Delete the first sentence. If the hook still works without it, leave it out.
- Check the result after publishing. In YouTube Studio, compare the Intro figure across your videos and note which formulas you used. Over time you'll see which ones suit your audience.
Keep a small "hook bank": a note of openers that worked for you, so you're never starting from a blank page.
Key takeaways
- A good hook confirms the click, proves you can deliver and signals what comes next (Promise, Proof, Path).
- Pick a formula to match the video type: question for tutorials, contradiction for reviews, reveal in progress for stories, mistake for explainers, specific number for results.
- Specific, true details beat big, vague claims.
- Cut greetings, logos and sponsor reads from the opening.
- Use the Intro figure in YouTube Studio to see which hooks work for your channel.
FAQ
How long should a YouTube hook be?
Short enough that the promise lands in the first few lines. YouTube Studio judges your opening on whether people are still watching after 30 seconds, so the whole Promise, Proof, Path structure should fit comfortably inside that window.
Should I write the hook before or after filming?
Plan the promise before you film so the video delivers it, but write the final wording, and often record it, last. By then you know the strongest moment and the real result to point to.
Can I use the same hook formula on every video?
You can, but viewers who watch often will notice. Rotating between two or three formulas that suit your content keeps openings fresh while staying consistent with your style.
Do hooks work the same way in YouTube Shorts?
The principle is the same, but there is far less time, so Shorts usually start straight on the reveal or the question with no set-up at all. See our Shorts retention tips for more.
Going further
If you want a structured method, Secrets to become a celebrity on YouTube: The Retention Editing Playbook by Manthan Bhendkar covers hooks in its "First 30 Seconds" part: the cold open rule, the Promise, Proof, Path structure, five hook types (written with finance videos in mind), seven intro killers, a 30-second scorecard and a Hook Bank of 20 openers. It suits creators and editors who want a written system rather than one-off tips. You can see the book here, or paste your intro script into the free Hook Checker for a score out of 100 and suggested fixes. For weekly feedback on your own videos, the author also runs the Retention Editing Accelerator, a six-week online cohort.
Last updated: 2 November 2026
More playbooks on other topics: asendify.co/books
The Retention Editing Playbook. £600.00 one-time, instant download.