Hook archetypes library: 12 that actually convert
A filterable reference of 12 hook archetypes - by tier, goal, and vertical. Use as a planning surface, not just reading material.
Why a library, not a list
Imagine you're a chef. Recipes are great, but a recipe book without an index is useless when you need to figure out what to cook tonight given what you have.
Most "hooks lists" are recipe books with no index. This one is the index. Pick the goal you have, the audience you're talking to, the tier of risk you can take - and the right hooks rise to the top.
The point isn't to memorize 12 archetypes. It's to filter to the 3-4 that fit what you're doing right now and work from those.
In one line: hooks aren't tricks; they're tools. This is the toolbox, indexed.
archetypes covering ~95% of winning opens
S-tier - most reliable
minimum mix for healthy diversity
of variation should come from S-tier
Tier system
What S, A, and B actually mean
Tiers are based on top-quartile observation, not personal taste. The mix matters more than the individual rating.
Top performers
Consistent winners across categories. Use 60–70% of your hook library here.
Strong, conditional
Strong in the right context. Mix 25–30% of the library here for diversity.
Niche / risky
Use sparingly (5–15%). Often best for testing new audiences or breaking saturation.
Twelve archetypes. Filter by what you need.
Click any card for the breakdown - example line, when it works, when it fails. Tier (S/A/B) reflects observed performance in our top-quartile sample.
Hook tagging is automatic.
Every saved inspiration in Shuttergen is auto-classified against this archetype library. Your account dashboard shows hook distribution at a glance - which archetypes are over-represented, which are missing, which tiers your library leans on. The remix engine then generates net-new hooks across underused archetypes, balancing the library before fatigue sets in.
That's the difference between "we ship hooks" and "we ship a balanced hook portfolio Andromeda can actually learn from."
Sources
What we read to build this
Stop running the same hook 25 ways.
Shuttergen tags every inspiration by archetype, audits your library for distribution, and generates the missing tiers - so your hook portfolio stays balanced through every refresh.
Get started free