--- title: "Hook Grader: Score the First Line of Your X Post" description: "Grade the opening line of a post against a transparent checklist: length, specificity, tension and clarity. Includes a library of hook patterns." url: https://kairopost.com/tools/hook-grader --- # Hook grader for X posts Paste the first line of your post and get a grade from A to F against six clear rules. Every point is explained, so you know exactly what to fix. - Runs in your browser - Nothing uploaded - No sign up Live. Everything runs on your device. Nothing is uploaded ## How to use the hook grader 1. 1: ### Paste your first line: Only the first line is graded, because that is what readers see first. 2. 2: ### Read the grade: The letter sums up six weighted rules. It is a checklist, not a forecast. 3. 3: ### Open the weakest rule: Its verdict and chips show exactly which words cost points. 4. 4: ### Rewrite and compare: Change one thing at a time; the grade updates as you type. 5. 5: ### Borrow a pattern if stuck: Copy a template from the hook library and fill in your own details. ## What makes a good hook: the six rules Each rule scores 0 to 100 and is weighted into the total. Simple enough to check by hand. Grade bands. A clean line with no details usually lands around C. below 60 60+ 70+ 80+ 90+ Only the first line The grader stops at the first line break. On X, that line carries the post in the timeline. ## Hook examples, scored before and after Scored by the same rules as the tool. The product is made up. F 51 / 100 Before So I just wanted to share some thoughts on onboarding. - Length 100 - Specificity 15 - Tension or promise 20 - Clarity 100 - Filler words 75 - First five words 20 C 79 / 100 After We cut onboarding from 7 emails to 3, and more people finished setup. - Length 100 - Specificity 90 - Tension or promise 20 - Clarity 100 - Filler words 100 - First five words 80 Warm up and filler out; a before and after with two numbers in. D 65 / 100 Before Excited to announce our new AI powered analytics dashboard! - Length 100 - Specificity 65 - Tension or promise 20 - Clarity 100 - Filler words 100 - First five words 20 B 81 / 100 After Reports that took six clicks in Relay now take one. - Length 100 - Specificity 100 - Tension or promise 20 - Clarity 100 - Filler words 100 - First five words 80 It stopped announcing and started showing. C 72 / 100 Before Here are some tips for writing better. - Length 100 - Specificity 15 - Tension or promise 65 - Clarity 100 - Filler words 100 - First five words 75 B 84 / 100 After I rewrote 40 landing pages last year. The fix was the same every time: cut the first paragraph. - Length 75 - Specificity 90 - Tension or promise 65 - Clarity 100 - Filler words 100 - First five words 80 Same promise, now with a source and a hint of the payoff. ## Hook templates for X: 42 patterns by goal Copy a template, replace the parts in brackets with your own true details, then grade it. Examples use invented figures. ### Launch hooks Announcing something new. Lead with what changed for the reader, not with how you feel about it. ### Lesson hooks Sharing what you learned. The cost of the lesson is what makes it worth reading. ### Contrarian hooks Disagreeing with common advice. Be specific about who the advice fails, or it reads as a stunt. ### Data hooks Leading with a number. The number must be real and the reader must know what it measures. ### Story hooks Opening a scene. Start in the middle of the moment, with a time, a place or a person. ### How to hooks Teaching a method. Promise a result and give a sense of the effort it takes. ## What a grade cannot tell you It is a checklist, not a model of the timeline. It has no performance data and makes no claim about reach. - ### It cannot judge truth: A made up number scores as well as a real one. - ### It cannot judge fit: A playful one word hook can suit your account and still score low. - ### Patterns can be overdone: If every post opens with a number and a colon, vary it. - ### It reads English: Other languages score unpredictably. ## More than one opening to choose from In Kairo Post you can ask a draft for a different opening while the facts stay the same, then pick one. Nothing publishes without your approval. See the [AI writing feature](https://kairopost.com/features/ai-writing), check the body with the [AI phrase checker](https://kairopost.com/tools/ai-phrase-checker), or browse all [tools for X](https://kairopost.com/tools). ## Hook grader FAQ ### What makes a good hook for an X post? It is short enough to read at a glance, specific enough to believe, and gives a reason to keep reading: a contrast, a promise or a question. It starts strong in the first five words. ### Does a high grade mean my post will do well? No. The grade checks six writing rules. Performance depends on audience, timing, topic and the rest of the post. Use the grade to catch weak lines, not to predict results. ### How is the score calculated? Six rules score 0 to 100 each. The total is a weighted average: specificity and tension weigh 20, the other four weigh 15. 90 and above is an A, 80 a B, 70 a C, 60 a D, below that an F. ### Why does my hook lose points for words like just or really? They add length without meaning and push the interesting part further from the start. Each filler word takes 25 points off the filler rule. ### Why is a name at the start of my line not counted as specific? Names are spotted by their capital letter, and the first word of a line is always capitalised, so the grader cannot tell them apart there. Numbers always count. ### Can I use the hook templates for my own posts? Yes. Replace every part in square brackets with your own real details. A template filled with vague words scores poorly and reads poorly. ### Is my text sent anywhere? No. The grader is a set of rules that runs in your browser, with no sign up and no cost. Nothing is uploaded or sent to an AI model. Written by Jonas Ben , founder of Kairo Post. Updated 30 September 2026 . ## More tools [All tools](https://kairopost.com/tools) - [X character counter Count characters exactly the way X does.](https://kairopost.com/tools/x-character-counter) - [Thread splitter Turn long text into a clean, numbered thread.](https://kairopost.com/tools/x-thread-splitter) - [AI phrase checker Spot the phrases that make writing sound machine made.](https://kairopost.com/tools/ai-phrase-checker) ## Post at the right moment. Starting today. Connect an account, describe your voice and let Kairo Post do the legwork. [Get started](https://app.kairopost.com/signup) [See pricing](https://kairopost.com/pricing)