What is Hook Checker?
Hook Checker tells you, before you post, whether the first seconds of your video will make people stop scrolling. Drop in a short video and you get a hook score for the first 3 seconds, an overall viral potential score, a modeled curve of how many viewers are still watching, and three specific fixes for this video.
Each fix comes with a button: recut the slow start in the editor, add captions, put a headline on screen, voice a stronger first line, or generate a stronger opening shot. Scores are modeled estimates from what is in your video, not a promise of views.
How to check your video's hook
- Drop in your videoAny short video, vertical or horizontal. We read the first 60 seconds right in your browser; the video itself is not uploaded.
- Pick where you'll postTikTok, Reels, Shorts or a paid ad. The advice follows the platform.
- Get your score and fixesIn about 20 seconds you get the scores, the attention curve and three fixes, each with a button to make the change.
What the report shows
- Hook score. How well the first 3 seconds stop the scroll, built from five parts: visual, clarity, curiosity, words and pace.
- Attention curve. A modeled line of how many viewers are still watching at each moment, with cuts and slow stretches marked.
- What viewers hear and read. Your first spoken line and when it starts, the text on screen in the first 2 seconds, and whether your captions are easy to read on a phone.
- Three fixes. The changes most likely to help this video, most important first, each with a one-click way to make it.
- Viral potential. One modeled number that combines the hook, the hold, whether the video pays off its promise, and how well its length and shape fit the platform.
How the score works
Your browser measures the video every half second: how much the picture moves, where the cuts are, how bright the first frame is and how loud the sound is. An AI model then looks at the key frames and listens to the first seconds to rate the opening. The score is calculated from both with fixed weights, so the same video always gets the same score.
Tips for a stronger hook
- Start in the middle of the action. Cut any slow walk-in, logo or fade from black.
- Show the most interesting thing in the first frame, not the third second.
- Put a short headline on screen in the first second, big enough to read on a phone.
- Speak within the first second, and make the first line about the viewer.
- Open a question your video answers at the end, then pay it off.
- Change the shot or the framing within the first 2 seconds to keep eyes moving.
Use it as a TikTok hook checker, a Reels hook score or a YouTube Shorts analyzer. For paid ads it weighs the first second even more, since ad viewers skip faster.
Your video stays with you
The video is decoded in your browser. Only a few small frames and the first 16 seconds of sound are sent to check it, and the sound is deleted right after.
Is it free?
Yes. You get 3 free checks a day when signed in, and 1 a day without an account. Checking the same video again shows your last report and doesn't use a check.
Hook Checker FAQ
Can Hook Checker tell me if my video will go viral?+
No tool can promise that. Hook Checker gives a modeled estimate based on what is in your video: how strong the first 3 seconds are, how well it holds attention and whether it pays off. It's best used to find what to fix before you post.
How long can my video be?+
Any length, but we read the first 60 seconds. Most of what decides a short video's reach happens in the first few seconds.
Is my video uploaded?+
No. Your browser reads the video and sends only a few small frames and the first seconds of sound for the check. The sound is deleted right after.
Why does the same video get the same score every time?+
The score is calculated from measurements with fixed weights, and checking the same file again shows your last report instead of running a new check.
What makes a good hook on TikTok, Reels or Shorts?+
Movement or a striking subject in the first frame, a reason to keep watching within 2 seconds, and words on screen or spoken in the first second. Avoid slow intros, logos and fades from black.
How many checks do I get?+
3 free checks a day when signed in, and 1 a day without an account. The count resets at midnight UTC.
How do I fix what it finds?+
Each fix has a button. Recut and captions open your video in the PopNow editor, a headline is placed on your first seconds for you, a spoken line goes to Text to Speech, and a new opening shot opens the AI video generator with the prompt filled in.
