Can I highlight a word in the hook?

Yes. Wrap the word or phrase in asterisks, like *start investing*, and it gets an animated highlight box in the accent color.

What length should a hook be?

Two to four seconds for the animation, with the key words readable by the two-second mark. You can set the duration in the editor and the timing scales to fit.

Short-Form Hooks

Short-form hooks: animated openers for Reels, Shorts and TikTok

Updated September 18, 20262 min read

How do you make a text hook that stops the scroll in the first two seconds?

Lead with one concrete promise, a number, a stat or a contrast, and let it land inside two seconds. These presets animate the count, the statistic or the teaser for you, and the layout keeps the words clear of the caption and button zones in 9:16.

Most short-form viewers decide within a second or two whether to keep watching, and many watch with the sound off. The opening words on screen do the work a voice-over used to do. Building a rolling number, a redaction shimmer or a punchy stat by hand for every video is slow, so these hooks set themselves from your own text.

Five short-form hooks presets to start from

Hover any card to play it. Opening one loads it in the editor with every control unlocked.

Things To Know Count
4s
A giant number rolls up like an odometer and slams in while your listicle hook stacks beside it with a highlighted key phrase.
Mistakes To Avoid Count
4s
The mistake count rolls in, a red X badge snaps onto the number with a shake, and the warning line rises underneath.
Stat Punch Hook
4s
A shocking statistic races up with motion blur, lands with a shake and shockwave rings, then the context line rises below.
Redacted List Teaser
4s
Numbered rows slide in hidden under shimmering redaction bars, and only the last one stays readable to keep viewers watching.
Secret List Unlock
5s
A locked list builds row by row, then each lock springs open and its redaction bar pulls away to reveal the tip underneath.

All short-form hooks

Which format should you export?

MP4 at 9:16 for vertical platforms, 1:1 or 4:5 for feed posts. WebM with alpha when the hook sits over your own footage.

Format: MP4 H.264 · WebM VP9
Alpha: Transparent WebM
Resolution: 720p to 8K
Aspect: 16:9 · 9:16 · 1:1 · 4:5
License: Commercial use included

Three tips that make it look intentional

Put the payoff in the first line: a count ("3 things"), a number ("87%") or a contrast ("before vs after"). Wrap one or two words in *stars* to highlight them.
Keep hooks short. Five to nine words read in time; longer lines shrink to fit, which makes them harder to read on a phone.
Export 9:16 for Reels, Shorts and TikTok. The layout leaves room at the top and bottom for platform captions and buttons.

Three things people get wrong

A hook that promises something the video never delivers. Viewers leave, and retention drops for the whole video.
Several highlighted words at once. One marked phrase draws the eye; three compete with each other.
Statistics without a source. If the number is real, say where it came from in the video or caption.

Frequently asked

Can I highlight a word in the hook?: Yes. Wrap the word or phrase in asterisks, like *start investing*, and it gets an animated highlight box in the accent color.
What length should a hook be?: Two to four seconds for the animation, with the key words readable by the two-second mark. You can set the duration in the editor and the timing scales to fit.

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