pattern-router
Pattern Router
Use this skill at the start of hook design.
This skill is for:
- choosing the right opening route before prompt writing
- mapping a brief into a concrete stop-scroll job
- reducing prompt drift when references are uneven or incomplete
- making later hook work more consistent
This skill is not for:
- writing the final storyboard
- writing provider-ready prompts
- polishing final hook copy
When the segment is hook, this skill should route the opening job, then hand off mechanism selection to hook-design.
Core Rule
Do not start from taste words like:
- viral
- premium
- cinematic
- scroll-stopping
Start from:
- segment type
- viewer question
- opening mechanism
- product reveal timing
Default Workflow
1. Identify the segment type
Classify the request as one of:
hookbenefitctacreatorlifestyletestimonial
If the user gives a custom segment, map it to the nearest working type and state the mapping.
2. Pick the dominant pattern family
Choose one primary route, then optionally one support route.
Do not mix many routes unless the timing clearly supports it.
Useful route families:
- self-recognition first
- proof first
- curiosity gap
- pattern interrupt
- social consequence
- lifestyle pull
3. Lock the routing summary before writing prompts
Print this block first:
Segment type:
Primary pattern:
Support pattern:
Viewer question:
Opening mechanism:
Product reveal rule:
Need explicit hook mechanism:
Why this route fits:
This block is the handoff to hook-design, reference-decode, visual-hook, or later prompt writing.
4. Choose the next skill
- If the segment is
hookand the mechanism still needs to be chosen, hand off tohook-design - If references exist and need structural decoding, hand off to
reference-decode - If the mechanism depends on visible frame-one strength, hand off to
visual-hook - If a prompt already exists and needs a last-pass check, hand off to
prompt-preflight-qa
Routing Rules
hook: optimize for stop-scroll and immediate legibilitybenefit: optimize for one visible proof pathcta: optimize for payoff plus next action, not a static end cardcreator: optimize for believable human deliverylifestyle: optimize for desire first, explanation secondtestimonial: optimize for proof plus specificity
For hook segments:
- this skill decides the opening route
hook-designdecides the dominant hook mechanism- later skills should not guess the mechanism independently
Failure Mode
Stop and say the routing is under-specified if the brief does not provide enough to answer at least:
- what segment is being made
- what question the viewer should ask
- whether the product can appear in the opening
- whether references exist
Do not let later skills guess the structure from vague taste words.
Limitations
This skill only handles opening-route selection.
It does not validate hook specificity, benchmark fit, frame-one strength, or pre-generation prompt risk.
In Practice
Most teams still need:
- hook mechanism locking
- benchmark decoding
- visual opening translation
- prompt preflight QA
Without those steps, a correctly routed opening can still turn into a weak or ad-like output downstream.
Orchestrated Workflows
In practice, these gaps are usually handled as a chained workflow rather than a single skill call.
Systems like PostPlus orchestrate routing, hook design, reference decoding, visual-hook work, and QA together so later stages do not have to re-guess the opening logic.
More from postplusai/hook-skills
hook-design
Structure a rough short-form opening into a reusable Hook Brief with explicit mechanism choice, product reveal timing, and downstream handoff guidance. Use when a hook idea is fuzzy, generic, or too product-first.
4reference-decode
Decode benchmark videos, contact sheets, frames, or rough ideas into reusable opening structure. Use when a reference exists and the goal is to extract hook essence, viewer question, visual grammar, and drift boundaries before prompt writing.
2visual-hook
Design and critique visual hooks for TikTok, Reels, Shorts, slideshows, and AI-generated media workflows. Use when the first frame, first slide, or first 1-3 seconds need a stronger reason for the viewer to keep watching.
2prompt-preflight-qa
Review storyboard prompts and short-form video request drafts before generation. Use when a prompt already exists and the goal is to catch weak openings, drift risk, bad product timing, or missing constraints before spending credits.
2