/ tiktok hook checker
TikTok ad hook checker
Rate the first three seconds before you buy Spark or in-feed. This is not the Meta scorecard — it is hook-only. For the playbook, see TikTok hooks in the first 3 seconds.
Pattern interrupt (0–1s)
Would a cold For You scroller stop before the caption even registers?
- Open on motion, a face, or a visual surprise — never a logo sting
- Cut into the action; do not establish the room first
- If the first frame could be a brand trailer, it is already late
On-screen text in the first beat
Can someone get the claim with sound off in the first three seconds?
- Safe-zone captions; TikTok UI covers the bottom
- One claim, not a paragraph
- Text should match the spoken hook if there is VO
Product in the opening
Is the product or outcome visible before second three?
- Hold the SKU or the result — mystery-box intros waste the hook
- Hands and product beat establishing shots of the street
- If they cannot name what you sell at 3s, the rest of the ad is homework
Audio that earns the watch
Does sound add a reason to stay, even if most watch muted?
- Native voice or a tension bed — not a royalty sting from 2014
- Captions still carry the ad; audio is the bonus
- Avoid copyrighted hooks you cannot run as a Spark ad
Reason to finish / loop
Is there a payoff or loop that makes a 6s view likely?
- Promise the result in the hook, deliver it before the CTA
- Hard cuts beat slow zoom-outs
- CTA after the hold, not instead of one
Result
Score every pillar
Fill every rating to get an average. Kill creatives with any Fail/Weak pillar before spend.
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