Hook Rate: Definition, Formula, and Benchmarks
Hook rate is the percentage of viewers who watch past the first 1-3 seconds of a short-form video. It measures how effectively the opening (the "hook") stops the scroll. A higher hook rate means more viewers stay to watch, which signals to algorithms like TikTok's that the content is worth distributing further.
Hook Rate = (Viewers at 3 seconds / Total Impressions) x 100
Benchmarks by platform
How Hooklayer measures hook quality
Hooklayer's score_hook tool rates hook text 0-100 against patterns from 100K+ analyzed viral videos. This is a predictive score, not a post-publish metric. It lets you test hooks before posting and reject anything that would likely produce a low hook rate. Hooks scoring below 70 are flagged for rewriting. Hooklayer is the QA gate and slop filter for AI-generated content.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good hook rate on TikTok?
A good hook rate on TikTok is 40% or higher at 3 seconds. Top-performing viral content often hits 60-80%. Below 30% means the hook is not stopping the scroll. Hooklayer score_hook rates hooks 0-100, where 70+ is considered passing and 85+ is strong.
How is hook rate calculated?
Hook rate = (number of viewers who watch past 3 seconds / total impressions) x 100. Some platforms measure at 1 second, others at 2 or 3 seconds. TikTok uses 3 seconds as the standard threshold for "hooked."
How is hook rate different from retention rate?
Hook rate measures the first 1-3 seconds (did they stop scrolling?). Retention rate measures how long they kept watching (did they stay?). A video can have a high hook rate but low retention if the hook is strong but the content does not deliver.
Can AI score a hook before I post?
Yes. Hooklayer score_hook takes any hook text and returns a 0-100 score based on patterns from 100K+ analyzed viral videos. This lets you test and iterate on hooks before publishing, catching weak hooks before they waste impressions.
What kills hook rate?
The most common hook rate killers: generic openings ("Hey guys, today I want to talk about..."), slow visual pacing, no pattern interrupt, and text overlays that take too long to read. Strong hooks create curiosity, urgency, or a visual disruption within the first second.