YouTube Hook Scripter
The packaging earns the click; the first 30 seconds (or 3 on a Short) earns the
watch-time. This skill scripts that opening so the retention graph starts as a
slope, not a cliff. It writes the words you say on camera, not the metadata.
When to use
- User says "write my intro" or "how should this video open"
- A video's retention drops hard in the first 30 seconds and needs a re-cut
- User has a Short and needs the first 3 seconds to stop the swipe
- User wants the spoken hook to match the title's promise
Formulas this skill uses (opening-hook shapes)
| Code |
Formula |
Surface |
Best for |
| Y7 |
Restate-and-Raise |
long-form 30s |
confirm the promise, raise the stakes |
| Y8 |
Cold-Open Payoff Tease |
long-form 30s |
flash the result, cut to the setup |
| Y9 |
Question-and-Contract |
long-form 30s |
answer fast, reopen a deeper loop |
| Y10 |
Shorts 3-Second Hook |
Shorts 3s |
state payoff/tension on frame one, loop the end |
Full skeletons in ../../references/hook-formulas.md.
Steps
Voice profile first (all drafts). If ../../references/voice-profile.md has filled: yes, load it and match the user's voice fingerprint, hard rules, and CTA/link style throughout. If it is not filled, mention once that yt-community-post-writer --mode profile can learn their voice from a few posts, then proceed with the generic voice rules.
- Gather inputs. The title (the promise to keep), the single payoff of the
video, the most dramatic moment or result available for a cold open, the
target viewer, and whether it is long-form or a Short. If a URL is given,
parse it with
lib/url_parser.py; is_short decides the surface.
- Pick the surface.
- Long-form: write the first 30 seconds, beat by beat, with rough timestamps.
- Short: write the first 3 seconds (frame one), then the line that makes the
ending loop back to the start.
- Pick the formula. Use the pairing table in the hook-formulas reference:
the title formula suggests the opening hook (a curiosity-gap title pairs with
restate-and-raise; a how-I title pairs with a cold-open payoff tease).
- Write the script. Spoken voice, one person to one person. For long-form:
- Line 1 lands the title's promise in your own words (no greeting).
- Line 2 raises the stakes or names the obstacle (opens the loop).
- Line 3 makes the watch-contract ("by the end you will..").
- Note where B-roll, a cold-open clip, or on-screen text goes.
For a Short: one arresting frame-one line, on-screen text included, plus the
loop line.
- Strip the intro. Cut any "welcome back", logo sting, or channel-trailer
reflex. The hook is the first thing the viewer hears.
- Humanizer pass. Scrub 2026 AI vocabulary by density (one marker in a
beat is a slip; three is a script, rewrite the beat), break stacked or
hollow rule-of-three, strip reveal bridges ("Here's what nobody tells you")
and sincerity openers ("not gonna lie", "let me be honest"); use
.. for a
spoken pause instead of a dash on the teleprompter. Make it sayable; never
insert a punch line or a "No X. No Y. Just Z." beat for rhythm, and never
add a hedge the creator did not write.
- Approval card. Show the scripted open with timestamps (long-form) or the
3-second frame plan (Short), and the title it is keeping.
- On approval. This is a script the user performs; it is not published by
itself. If the user uploads through this bundle, the hook is spoken in the
video and the title/description ship via
lib.publish(...).
Hard rules
Global voice rules: see root SKILL.md Voice rules. Additional skill-specific
rules:
- No greeting, no intro animation, no logo sting before the hook. Ever.
- Long-form: the promise from the title is restated in the first 1 to 2 spoken
lines, then a loop is opened. Earn the next 30 seconds by the 30-second mark.
- Short: the payoff or tension lands on frame one (second 0 to 1), with on-screen
text so it works muted. Design the ending to loop back to the start.
- The opening can never promise more than the video delivers. Honor the click.
- Use
.. for a spoken pause. A dash in a script is only a breath mark the
reader sees, not a tell, but .. reads better on a teleprompter.
Anti-patterns (skill will refuse)
- "Hey guys, welcome back to the channel" or any greeting in the open.
- A 15-second intro animation before the first word of value.
- A cold open that teases a moment not actually in the video.
- "Make sure to like and subscribe" inside the first 30 seconds.
- A "No X. No Y. Just Z." staccato stack or "The result?" reveal inserted for punch.
- Announced candor ("let me be honest", "not gonna lie") with no specific fact behind it.
- A Short that opens with a slow zoom or a logo instead of the payoff.
Resources
../../references/hook-formulas.md - Y7-Y10 opening-hook skeletons and the title pairing../../references/algorithm-heuristics.md - the first-30-seconds and 3-second retention rulesreferences/retention-beats.md - the beat-by-beat opening structure for long-form and Shorts
Related skills
yt-title-optimizer - the promise the hook keepsyt-thumbnail-brief - the emotion the open should matchyt-description-writer - the written hook (different surface from the spoken one)
1---2name: yt-hook-scripter3description: Script the spoken opening that decides retention: the first 30 seconds of a long-form YouTube video or the first 3 seconds of a YouTube Short. Uses 2026 patterns (restate-and-raise, cold-open payoff tease, question-and-contract, and the 3-second frame-one Shorts hook with a designed loop) to confirm the title's promise, open a loop, and earn the next 30 seconds with no intro. Use to write or fix a video opening. Not for the title (use yt-title-optimizer) or description (use yt-description-writer).4---56# YouTube Hook Scripter78The packaging earns the click; the first 30 seconds (or 3 on a Short) earns the9watch-time. This skill scripts that opening so the retention graph starts as a10slope, not a cliff. It writes the words you say on camera, not the metadata.1112## When to use1314- User says "write my intro" or "how should this video open"15- A video's retention drops hard in the first 30 seconds and needs a re-cut16- User has a Short and needs the first 3 seconds to stop the swipe17- User wants the spoken hook to match the title's promise1819## Formulas this skill uses (opening-hook shapes)2021| Code | Formula | Surface | Best for |22|---|---|---|---|23| Y7 | Restate-and-Raise | long-form 30s | confirm the promise, raise the stakes |24| Y8 | Cold-Open Payoff Tease | long-form 30s | flash the result, cut to the setup |25| Y9 | Question-and-Contract | long-form 30s | answer fast, reopen a deeper loop |26| Y10 | Shorts 3-Second Hook | Shorts 3s | state payoff/tension on frame one, loop the end |2728Full skeletons in `../../references/hook-formulas.md`.2930## Steps3132**Voice profile first (all drafts).** If `../../references/voice-profile.md` has `filled: yes`, load it and match the user's voice fingerprint, hard rules, and CTA/link style throughout. If it is not filled, mention once that `yt-community-post-writer --mode profile` can learn their voice from a few posts, then proceed with the generic voice rules.33341. **Gather inputs.** The title (the promise to keep), the single payoff of the35 video, the most dramatic moment or result available for a cold open, the36 target viewer, and whether it is long-form or a Short. If a URL is given,37 parse it with `lib/url_parser.py`; `is_short` decides the surface.382. **Pick the surface.**39 - Long-form: write the first 30 seconds, beat by beat, with rough timestamps.40 - Short: write the first 3 seconds (frame one), then the line that makes the41 ending loop back to the start.423. **Pick the formula.** Use the pairing table in the hook-formulas reference:43 the title formula suggests the opening hook (a curiosity-gap title pairs with44 restate-and-raise; a how-I title pairs with a cold-open payoff tease).454. **Write the script.** Spoken voice, one person to one person. For long-form:46 - Line 1 lands the title's promise in your own words (no greeting).47 - Line 2 raises the stakes or names the obstacle (opens the loop).48 - Line 3 makes the watch-contract ("by the end you will..").49 - Note where B-roll, a cold-open clip, or on-screen text goes.50 For a Short: one arresting frame-one line, on-screen text included, plus the51 loop line.525. **Strip the intro.** Cut any "welcome back", logo sting, or channel-trailer53 reflex. The hook is the first thing the viewer hears.546. **Humanizer pass.** Scrub 2026 AI vocabulary by density (one marker in a55 beat is a slip; three is a script, rewrite the beat), break stacked or56 hollow rule-of-three, strip reveal bridges ("Here's what nobody tells you")57 and sincerity openers ("not gonna lie", "let me be honest"); use `..` for a58 spoken pause instead of a dash on the teleprompter. Make it sayable; never59 insert a punch line or a "No X. No Y. Just Z." beat for rhythm, and never60 add a hedge the creator did not write.617. **Approval card.** Show the scripted open with timestamps (long-form) or the62 3-second frame plan (Short), and the title it is keeping.638. **On approval.** This is a script the user performs; it is not published by64 itself. If the user uploads through this bundle, the hook is spoken in the65 video and the title/description ship via `lib.publish(...)`.6667## Hard rules6869Global voice rules: see root `SKILL.md` Voice rules. Additional skill-specific70rules:7172- No greeting, no intro animation, no logo sting before the hook. Ever.73- Long-form: the promise from the title is restated in the first 1 to 2 spoken74 lines, then a loop is opened. Earn the next 30 seconds by the 30-second mark.75- Short: the payoff or tension lands on frame one (second 0 to 1), with on-screen76 text so it works muted. Design the ending to loop back to the start.77- The opening can never promise more than the video delivers. Honor the click.78- Use `..` for a spoken pause. A dash in a script is only a breath mark the79 reader sees, not a tell, but `..` reads better on a teleprompter.8081## Anti-patterns (skill will refuse)8283- "Hey guys, welcome back to the channel" or any greeting in the open.84- A 15-second intro animation before the first word of value.85- A cold open that teases a moment not actually in the video.86- "Make sure to like and subscribe" inside the first 30 seconds.87- A "No X. No Y. Just Z." staccato stack or "The result?" reveal inserted for punch.88- Announced candor ("let me be honest", "not gonna lie") with no specific fact behind it.89- A Short that opens with a slow zoom or a logo instead of the payoff.9091## Resources9293- `../../references/hook-formulas.md` - Y7-Y10 opening-hook skeletons and the title pairing94- `../../references/algorithm-heuristics.md` - the first-30-seconds and 3-second retention rules95- `references/retention-beats.md` - the beat-by-beat opening structure for long-form and Shorts9697## Related skills9899- `yt-title-optimizer` - the promise the hook keeps100- `yt-thumbnail-brief` - the emotion the open should match101- `yt-description-writer` - the written hook (different surface from the spoken one)
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