Hook Lab
How to generate AI-ranked psychological hooks for YouTube titles, and what the 8 archetypes mean.
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How to use Hook Lab
- 1.Go to Hook Lab in the sidebar.
- 2.Enter your video topic in the text box. Be specific — include your angle, your result, and your niche. Example: "How I made $5,000 from a single YouTube video as a finance creator with 10K subscribers."
- 3.Select a goal if prompted: Maximise CTR, Brand safe, or Controversy. This shifts the archetype weighting.
- 4.Click Generate Hooks. In 2–4 seconds, 8 ranked hooks appear — one per archetype, each with its archetype label and CTR score.
- 5.Pick your hook, copy it, and optionally click Make Thumbnail Concept to generate matching thumbnail direction suggestions.
The 8 psychological archetypes
Every hook Hook Lab generates uses one of these proven patterns.
Secret Knowledge
"The YouTube Algorithm Secret Nobody Talks About"
Implies exclusive access to information others don't have. Triggers FOMO and curiosity simultaneously.
Negative Frame
"Why I Quit My $200K Job (The Truth Nobody Tells You)"
Negative framing creates pattern interruption. The brain processes negative information faster than positive — it grabs attention in a feed.
Urgency + Scarcity
"This YouTube Algorithm Change Starts in 30 Days"
Time-sensitive framing creates FOMO and speeds up the click decision. Viewers act now rather than risk the information going stale.
Curiosity Gap
"I Tried Every YouTube Growth Strategy — Here's What Actually Worked"
Opens an information gap the viewer must close. Works especially well when the premise is relatable and the payoff is implied to be surprising.
Pattern Interrupt
"Stop Optimising Your Thumbnails (Do This Instead)"
Directly contradicts commonly held beliefs. Forces the viewer to re-evaluate something they thought they knew. High CTR in crowded niches.
Social Proof
"How 50K Creators Grew Past 100K in Under 6 Months"
Leverages authority, numbers, or consensus to make the content feel credible before the click. Large numbers signal a proven, repeatable result.
Controversy
"Faceless Channels Are Destroying YouTube"
Takes a strong stance that forces a reaction. Generates comments and pushes the viewer to click just to see where the argument goes.
Transformation
"From 200 to 50,000 Subscribers: Exactly What Changed"
Before/after framing. Viewers want the "after" state — they click to understand the bridge between where they are and where they want to be.
Common questions
How many hooks does Hook Lab generate?
Hook Lab generates 8 hooks per request — one per psychological archetype. They are ranked by predicted CTR score — pick the top-ranked one or use them as inspiration to write your own hybrid.
What is the CTR score?
The CTR score (0–100) is a predicted click-through rate ranking based on analysis of title patterns across thousands of high-performing YouTube videos in similar niches. It is a relative ranking, not a guarantee — use it as a directional signal, not a precise prediction.
Should I always use the rank #1 hook?
Not necessarily. The top-ranked hook is the highest-predicted performer in isolation. But your thumbnail, your channel authority, and your topic matter too. Consider the hook in context — sometimes the #2 hook fits your thumbnail concept better and the combined result outperforms the #1 hook alone.
How specific should my topic input be?
Be specific. "YouTube" generates generic hooks. "How I grew a finance channel from 0 to 50K subscribers by posting weekly" generates highly targeted, actionable hooks. The more context you give, the more relevant the output.
Can I use Hook Lab to rewrite an existing title?
Yes. Paste your existing title as the topic input and add context like "rewrite this as a more compelling hook." Hook Lab will generate alternatives that preserve your core message while applying psychological archetype patterns.
What's the daily hook generation limit?
Creator plan: 500 hooks/month. Pro and Agency: unlimited. Each generation request (which produces 8 hooks) counts as one generation against your quota.