Instagram Hook Extractor
Paste a viral Reel or carousel URL (or the caption text). Get back: which hook
formula it uses, the exact structure, why it worked, the primary goal it chased,
and a blank template you can fill with your own voice.
When to use
- User finds a viral Reel or carousel they want to study
- User wants to replicate a specific creator's pattern
- Before
ig-caption-writer or ig-carousel-planner, to seed a draft with a
proven shape
Input
An Instagram URL (/p/, /reel/, or a profile) or pasted caption + slide text.
This bundle has no built-in Instagram reader, so for a URL the skill asks the
user to paste the caption (and the on-image slide text for a carousel, or a quick
description of the Reel's first 3 seconds).
Output
- Formula identified (IG1-IG10 from
../../references/hook-formulas.md) with a
confidence score
- Surface: single image, carousel, or Reel, and why that surface fit the idea
- Structural breakdown:
- The hook (caption first 125 chars / carousel slide 1 / Reel first 3 seconds)
- Body architecture (per-slide roles for a carousel; beat order for a Reel)
- The close (what earns the save, send, or follow)
- Reaction-triggering devices (numbers, named entities, the open loop)
- Primary goal the original chased (saves / shares / comments / follows)
- Why it worked psychologically and algorithmically
- Blank template with
{slot} markers matched to the original, ready for the
user's topic
- Cautions: anything in the original that would fail a 2026 audit (em
dashes over the cap, an AI-vocab cluster, 30 hashtags, mixed media)
Steps
- Parse the URL.
lib.url_parser.parse_instagram_url(url) returns
username, shortcode, url_type.
- Get the content. Ask the user to paste the caption, and for a carousel the
slide text, or for a Reel the first 3 seconds (on-screen text + opening line).
(If they later wire an Apify Instagram actor, read it automatically.)
- Detect the surface. Single image, carousel, or Reel.
- Classify against the 10 formulas using features:
- Caption: an odd-precision result (IG1)? a contrarian claim (IG2)? a
relatable moment (IG3)? a first-person confession (IG4)?
- Carousel: a numbered teaching list (IG5)? a before/after (IG6)? a
myth/truth structure (IG7)? a named framework (IG8)?
- Reel: a pattern interrupt in the first seconds (IG9)? a "how I" teardown
(IG10)?
- Score confidence. If two formulas fit, return the top 2 with fit scores.
- Extract structure. Label each part by its role. For a carousel, map slide
1 (the loop), the front-loaded value, and the payoff slide.
- Name the primary goal the original optimized for.
- Generate a blank template with
{slot} markers matched to the original
shape and the user's topic.
- Audit the source. Flag any AI tells so the user does not copy them.
Example
See references/examples.md for worked teardowns.
Formulas reference
See ../../references/hook-formulas.md for the 10 canonical Instagram formulas
with full skeletons and goal tags.
Files
SKILL.md - this filereferences/classification-rules.md - feature extraction + scoring heuristicsreferences/examples.md - worked teardowns (caption, carousel, Reel)
Related skills
ig-caption-writer - use the extracted caption template to draft your ownig-carousel-planner - use the extracted carousel templateig-humanizer --mode audit - audit your draft before shipping
1---2name: ig-hook-extractor3description: Reverse-engineer the hook from a viral Instagram Reel or carousel, given a URL or a pasted caption. Identifies which of the 10 canonical 2026 formulas it uses (number-first, contrarian, relatable, confession, listicle, before/after, myth-buster, framework, pattern-interrupt Reel, how-I Reel), explains why it worked, names the primary goal, and returns a blank template mapped to your topic. Use to learn from a post you admire. Not for writing your own (use ig-caption-writer or ig-carousel-planner).4---56# Instagram Hook Extractor78Paste a viral Reel or carousel URL (or the caption text). Get back: which hook9formula it uses, the exact structure, why it worked, the primary goal it chased,10and a blank template you can fill with your own voice.1112## When to use1314- User finds a viral Reel or carousel they want to study15- User wants to replicate a specific creator's pattern16- Before `ig-caption-writer` or `ig-carousel-planner`, to seed a draft with a17 proven shape1819## Input2021An Instagram URL (`/p/`, `/reel/`, or a profile) or pasted caption + slide text.22This bundle has no built-in Instagram reader, so for a URL the skill asks the23user to paste the caption (and the on-image slide text for a carousel, or a quick24description of the Reel's first 3 seconds).2526## Output2728- **Formula identified** (IG1-IG10 from `../../references/hook-formulas.md`) with a29 confidence score30- **Surface:** single image, carousel, or Reel, and why that surface fit the idea31- **Structural breakdown:**32 - The hook (caption first 125 chars / carousel slide 1 / Reel first 3 seconds)33 - Body architecture (per-slide roles for a carousel; beat order for a Reel)34 - The close (what earns the save, send, or follow)35 - Reaction-triggering devices (numbers, named entities, the open loop)36- **Primary goal** the original chased (saves / shares / comments / follows)37- **Why it worked** psychologically and algorithmically38- **Blank template** with `{slot}` markers matched to the original, ready for the39 user's topic40- **Cautions:** anything in the original that would fail a 2026 audit (em41 dashes over the cap, an AI-vocab cluster, 30 hashtags, mixed media)4243## Steps44451. **Parse the URL.** `lib.url_parser.parse_instagram_url(url)` returns46 `username`, `shortcode`, `url_type`.472. **Get the content.** Ask the user to paste the caption, and for a carousel the48 slide text, or for a Reel the first 3 seconds (on-screen text + opening line).49 (If they later wire an Apify Instagram actor, read it automatically.)503. **Detect the surface.** Single image, carousel, or Reel.514. **Classify against the 10 formulas** using features:52 - Caption: an odd-precision result (IG1)? a contrarian claim (IG2)? a53 relatable moment (IG3)? a first-person confession (IG4)?54 - Carousel: a numbered teaching list (IG5)? a before/after (IG6)? a55 myth/truth structure (IG7)? a named framework (IG8)?56 - Reel: a pattern interrupt in the first seconds (IG9)? a "how I" teardown57 (IG10)?585. **Score confidence.** If two formulas fit, return the top 2 with fit scores.596. **Extract structure.** Label each part by its role. For a carousel, map slide60 1 (the loop), the front-loaded value, and the payoff slide.617. **Name the primary goal** the original optimized for.628. **Generate a blank template** with `{slot}` markers matched to the original63 shape and the user's topic.649. **Audit the source.** Flag any AI tells so the user does not copy them.6566## Example6768See `references/examples.md` for worked teardowns.6970## Formulas reference7172See `../../references/hook-formulas.md` for the 10 canonical Instagram formulas73with full skeletons and goal tags.7475## Files7677- `SKILL.md` - this file78- `references/classification-rules.md` - feature extraction + scoring heuristics79- `references/examples.md` - worked teardowns (caption, carousel, Reel)8081## Related skills8283- `ig-caption-writer` - use the extracted caption template to draft your own84- `ig-carousel-planner` - use the extracted carousel template85- `ig-humanizer --mode audit` - audit your draft before shipping
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