A hook isn't the same thing as an introduction. An introduction explains what's coming. A hook gives someone a reason to want to know what's coming — and on Shorts, you have well under a second to do it before a swipe.

Most weak hooks spend the first few seconds explaining context before getting to the interesting part. Flip that order — open with the interesting part, then fill in context as you go if it's even needed.

Hooks that work tend to leave something unresolved — "here's what actually worked," "the mistake nobody talks about," "what happened when I tried this." The viewer stays to get the answer.

Overly scripted, generic hook lines are easy to spot and easy to swipe past. A hook that sounds like a real reaction or a specific claim tends to land better than a vague, formulaic one.

You don't need to invent a new hook style for every video. A set of proven hook formats with real examples is a faster starting point than staring at a blank line trying to sound clever.

The only real test of a hook is whether people stay. If a video's retention graph shows an early drop, the hook is usually the first thing worth revisiting — Video Autopsy can show you exactly where that drop happens.