---
url: https://superduperai.co/library/hook-archetype-number-countdown/
title: Number hook: a count the viewer can track, and the one item that justifies it
description: Template for the hook built on a number (3 mistakes, 5 tools, 7 days), with the rule that the number must be small enough to finish and the last item must be named as the reason to stay.
category: hooks
platforms: [tiktok, reels, shorts, youtube]
works_with: [claude, chatgpt, claude-code, any-llm]
tags: [hook, number, countdown, archetype, listicle, opener, shorts]
difficulty: beginner
verified: false
created: 2026-11-01
---

# Number hook: a count the viewer can track, and the one item that justifies it

Template for the hook built on a number (3 mistakes, 5 tools, 7 days), with the rule that the number must be small enough to finish and the last item must be named as the reason to stay.

## Prompt

```text
Write 5 number hooks for a short video about {topic}. A number hook works because it tells the viewer how long the video is in their head and promises a structure; it fails when the number is too big to finish or every item is the same weight. Use numbers from 3 to 7 for a list and any real measurement for a result.

Templates to fill:
- '{N} {things} for {outcome}. Number {N} is the one nobody does.'
- '{N} {units} of {action}, one result.'
- 'I tested {N} {things}. {Small number} worked.'
- '{N} seconds, {N} taps, done.'
- 'Day {N}. {One-line state}.'

Rules: max 12 words, the number is spoken and on screen as a digit, every list number is 3 to 7, every measured number is one I actually measured. For list hooks name which item is the reason to stay (the last one) in the hook itself. For each hook, write the ON-SCREEN text, which is just the number and one word.

Return: 5 hooks with their on-screen text, ranked by how clearly the number tells the viewer the length of the video.
```

## Example

Topic: kitchen tools and habits for weeknight cooking.

1. 'Five kitchen tools under twenty dollars. Number one is not a gadget.' On-screen: '5 TOOLS'.
2. 'Three product-photo mistakes. The third is why your listing looks cheap.' On-screen: '3 MISTAKES'.
3. 'I tested four ways to cook rice. One worked every time.' On-screen: '4 WAYS'.
4. 'Four minutes, one pan, a smash burger.' On-screen: '4 MIN'.
5. 'Day seven. Thirteen out of twenty words, up from six.' On-screen: 'DAY 7'.

## Tips

- Keep the number on screen for the whole video as a countdown or a day stamp. A number that appears once is a title; a number that stays is a progress bar.
- Seven is the ceiling for a list in under 60 seconds. Past that, the viewer stops tracking and the number stops working.

## Works with

- Claude: Paste into claude.ai or the Claude app.
- ChatGPT: Paste into ChatGPT; works with any GPT model.
- Claude Code: Runs as a skill or a prompt in the terminal; can read your files and write the result.
- Any LLM: Model-agnostic: Gemini, Mistral, a local model.