| name | hooks |
| description | Generate scroll-stopping opening lines for X posts. Use when the user needs hook ideas, opening lines, first lines, or attention-grabbing openers for tweets. |
| argument-hint | [topic or context for the hook] |
Generate Scroll-Stopping Hooks
The first 8-12 words of an X post determine whether anyone reads the rest. Generate multiple high-impact hook options optimized for the Phoenix algorithm's dwell time signal.
Input
The user provides:
- A topic they're posting about
- A rough idea of the post content
- An existing hook they want alternatives for
- A URL — read the content via WebFetch to understand the subject, then generate hooks based on the actual material (see ../../../reference/url-reading.md)
Process
Step 1 — Understand the Content
What is the core message? Who is the audience? What emotion should the hook trigger?
Step 2 — Read Hook Patterns
Read patterns.md for the full hook pattern library.
Step 3 — Generate 7-10 Hooks
Generate hooks across multiple pattern categories:
- Curiosity Gap — Creates an information gap the reader must fill
- Specific Number — Leads with a concrete, impressive metric
- Contrarian — Challenges conventional wisdom
- Pain Point — Names a frustration the audience feels
- Before/After — Shows transformation in minimal words
- Social Proof — Leads with credibility markers
- Question — Poses something the reader can't ignore
For each hook:
- Keep to 8-12 words (the visible preview before truncation)
- Test: Would this stop YOUR scroll?
- Ensure it's honest — don't promise what the post doesn't deliver
Step 4 — Rank and Annotate
Rank all hooks by predicted effectiveness and annotate:
- Best for dwell — which hook will make people read the full post?
- Best for replies — which hook triggers an urge to respond?
- Best for bookmarks — which hook signals "save-worthy" content?
- Safest — which hook has lowest negative signal risk?
- Boldest — which hook has highest ceiling but more risk?
Step 5 — Output
Present all hooks in a scored table, ranked by Phoenix Score. The score represents what a full post would score with that hook (assuming a solid body + CTA):
# Hook Score Best for
1. "2.3× faster than MLX — on a MacBook." 8.4/10 Dwell + bookmarks
2. "Your MacBook can fine-tune a 7B model in 12 min." 8.1/10 Specificity + curiosity
3. "Why I rewrote LLM inference in pure Rust." 7.9/10 Curiosity gap
4. "Most devs are overpaying for GPU cloud. Here's why." 7.6/10 Pain point + broad reach
5. "The local AI tipping point just arrived." 7.2/10 Boldest (high ceiling, more risk)
...
Also include:
- Annotations per hook (best for dwell / replies / bookmarks / safest / boldest)
- Recommended top pick with rationale
- The complete first 2 lines (hook + bridge to body) for the top 3
Rules
- Never use engagement bait ("You won't believe...")
- No clickbait that the content doesn't deliver on
- Avoid jargon in the hook unless the audience is entirely specialists
- Specificity always beats vagueness ("2.3× faster" > "much faster")
- The hook must be true
