The first 3 seconds of a clip determine whether it travels or dies. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels all measure completion rate as the primary ranking signal. A clip that loses viewers in the first 3 seconds gets buried by the algorithm.

The hook patterns that work in 2026:

• Visual spike. Open with the most visually compelling frame of the clip. Bright color, fast motion, surprising image.
• Audio spike. Start with the loudest, most reactive audio moment. A scream, a laugh, an impact sound.
• Pattern interrupt text. Frame 1 shows large text overlay that breaks expectation: "I just lost everything" / "Wait, what?" / "This should not have worked."
• Front-loaded payoff tease. "The moment I realized..." or "Watch this happen at the end."

The structural rule: never open with context, setup, or "let me explain." The hook is the moment of value. Context comes after retention is locked.

Test multiple hooks per clip if performance varies. Same clip with three different opens posted across three platforms can produce 10x variance in views. The hook is the variable that matters most.