Deep viral research with rubrics, not vibes.
Hooklayer is the viral-content research API for creative strategists and growth researchers. Extract Viral DNA from any creator (scores + steal_map + format fingerprint). Score hooks with a 6-signal deterministic rubric. Find templates by niche with query narrowing. Every response returns evidence quotes suitable for citation in strategy decks.
No card required. Hobby tier ($19/mo, 1,200 credits) fits solo consultants. PAYG ($25 for 1,500 credits, never expire) works for irregular projects.
Hooklayer exposes a documented, deterministic scoring rubric for viral short-form video patterns. Every score returns the 6 hook signals (specificity, emotional_stake, scroll_stop_velocity, credibility_signal, pattern_freshness, share_trigger, each 0-10 with evidence quote). Every predict_virality response returns 8 named attack vectors. Every response includes provenance (data source, sample size, timestamps, quality flags). Rubric-based, not vibe-based, not a black box.
Unlike social listening platforms (Brandwatch, Sprout, Talkwalker) that measure brand-mention volume + sentiment, Hooklayer measures viral content STRUCTURE, why did this hook work, what beat pattern won, which format is peaking. Different job. Complementary tools. Corpus: 100,000+ analyzed viral TikTok and YouTube Shorts videos across 17 niches, refreshed with weekly trend signal ingestion.
Every response is JSON with clear provenance blocks, direct-import into Notion databases, Google Sheets via API, or your reporting layer of choice. Every numeric score comes with an explanation and evidence quote suitable for citation in client-facing decks or academic references. Median hook-scoring latency: under 400ms. Cost per hook analysis: 1 credit (~$0.02).
Every one produces citeable outputs.
What creative strategists and researchers actually build on top of Hooklayer, not generic use cases.
Full Viral DNA extraction on any creator
Problem, You need to reverse-engineer 5 top creators in your client's niche and deliver a strategy brief by Friday.
Solution, Chain analyze_account on each handle. Every response returns viral_dna_score (composite), replicability_score, originality_score, format_fingerprint (duration, words/sec, pauses), and a steal_map with 3 transferable patterns. Total time: 15 minutes for 5 creators. Cost: $0.35.
analyze_accountmatch_voiceCross-niche pattern research
Problem, Your client wants to know if the "confession + result" format that's peaking in skincare would work in supplements.
Solution, find_viral_template with niche=Beauty & Skincare + query="confession result", then run the same query for niche=Fitness & Health. Compare pattern density, engagement scores, and format fingerprints. Data-backed answer in under 5 minutes.
find_viral_templatesearch_videosWeekly trend intelligence per niche
Problem, You produce weekly research memos for 3 retainer clients in different verticals. Manual research = 6 hours per memo.
Solution, trend_pulse per niche each Monday. Returns 3 rising formats + 2 saturated patterns with strength labels (early-signal / rising / established) and verbatim evidence quotes from the source signals. Auto-formatted digest ready in 90 seconds per niche.
trend_pulsefind_viral_templateDeterministic hook rubric analysis
Problem, You are writing a whitepaper on "what makes a viral TikTok hook in 2026" and need scored samples with reproducible rubrics.
Solution, score_hook against a batch of 50 real viral hooks. Every score comes with 6 signals (specificity, emotional_stake, scroll_stop_velocity, credibility_signal, pattern_freshness, share_trigger) plus a "would_fail_because" counterfactual. Reproducible data for research citations.
score_hookpredict_viralityExtract voice DNA for creator profiling
Problem, You are auditing your client's roster of 8 UGC creators to see which voice patterns actually drive engagement.
Solution, match_voice per creator. Returns voice_metrics (TTR vocab_diversity, filler_rate, avg_sentence_length, signature_phrases with counts). Quantified voice profiles across 8 creators in 15 minutes. Cite the delta between top performers and bottom performers.
match_voiceanalyze_accountPattern library for internal strategy repository
Problem, Your agency needs a growing internal library of "hooks that scored 85+" tagged by niche + format for AM training.
Solution, Score every viral hook you spot in the wild through score_hook. Store the 85+ ones in Notion with the full rubric breakdown. Build a queryable pattern library your team searches instead of asking the strategy lead every time.
score_hookfind_viral_template5 research profiles that use Hooklayer for citeable pattern extraction.
In-house strategists at DTC brands and agencies running weekly research memos with reproducible scoring rubrics
Growth teams researching viral pattern portability across verticals before recommending creative tests
Independent consultants delivering data-backed strategy decks to retainer clients using citeable Viral DNA scores
Researchers writing about short-form video trends who need reproducible rubrics and cited evidence for every claim
Academic and industry researchers studying short-form platform dynamics with quantified pattern extraction at scale
Common questions from research teams.
What kind of research does Hooklayer power?
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Deep viral pattern research across TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Extract Viral DNA from any creator account (consistency score, hook reuse rate, format fingerprint, replicability score). Score hooks against 100K+ viral videos with 0-100 rubric. Find template patterns per niche with query-narrowed filters. Chain the whole thing for strategy-deck-ready outputs.
How is this different from social listening tools (Brandwatch, Sprout, Talkwalker)?
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Social listening measures brand mention volume, sentiment, and share of voice. Hooklayer measures viral content STRUCTURE, why did this hook work, what beat pattern won, which format is peaking. Different job. Complementary tools: use social listening for brand health, use Hooklayer for creative-strategy research.
Can I export data for reports and strategy decks?
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Yes. Every Hooklayer response is JSON with clear provenance blocks (data source, timestamps, sample sizes, quality flags). Direct import into Notion databases, Google Sheets via API, or your reporting layer of choice. Every numeric score comes with an explanation + evidence quote suitable for citation in client-facing decks.
What is the sample size behind the viral patterns Hooklayer scores against?
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The corpus is 100,000+ analyzed viral TikTok and YouTube Shorts videos across 17 niches, refreshed with weekly trend signal ingestion. Every score returns the reference patterns it matched against so you can audit which patterns drove the classification. Not a black box.
Does Hooklayer expose the deterministic scoring rubrics?
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Yes. All 6 hook signals are documented per response (specificity, emotional_stake, scroll_stop_velocity, credibility_signal, pattern_freshness, share_trigger, each 0-10 with evidence quote). All 8 attack vectors on predict_virality are named (skip_at_3s, credibility_collapse, comment_killer, algorithm_suppressed, etc). Rubric-based, not vibe-based.
What pricing tier fits a solo researcher or strategy consultant?
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Free tier (50 credits) covers ~50 hook scores or ~10 competitor analyses for evaluation. Hobby ($19/mo, 1,200 credits) fits solo consultants running weekly research for 2-3 retainer clients. Starter ($49/mo, 3,200 credits) fits independent strategy studios. PAYG ($25 for 1,500 credits, never expire) works for irregular project-based work.
Deep research shouldn't take a week per client.
Extract Viral DNA in minutes. Score hooks in seconds. Every output is citeable with named rubrics and evidence quotes. 50 free credits, no card. Consultant + PAYG pricing for solo strategists.