YouTube Video Intro Script Template
A retention-optimized script template for YouTube youtube video intro videos. Copy it, customize the placeholders, and start writing.
[BEAT ONE: THE HOOK - 0:00 to 0:05 | about 18 words] One sentence, no greeting, no channel name. "[THE MOST INTERESTING TRUE THING ABOUT THIS VIDEO]" Say it over the single most relevant shot you have. [BEAT TWO: THE PROMISE - 0:05 to 0:15 | about 36 words] "[WHAT THE VIEWER WILL KNOW OR SEE BY THE END]" Make it specific and finite: "By the end of this video you will [CONCRETE RESULT]." No life story. If a sentence does not add information, cut it. [BEAT THREE: THE REASON TO STAY - 0:15 to 0:22 | about 25 words] "[THE ONE THING THAT MAKES THIS VERSION DIFFERENT]" "The part that surprised me is [SURPRISING DETAIL]." [BEAT FOUR: THE PREVIEW - 0:22 to 0:30 | about 29 words] Show, do not tell: two or three seconds of the payoff moment, then cut into the video proper. "[ONE LINE OVER THE PREVIEW CLIP]" Cut on the last word. Do not fade. [IF YOU NEED A COMPROMISE VERSION - 0:00 to 0:30 total] Hook sentence, promise sentence, then straight into content with the preview placed at the first natural break instead.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Opening with a greeting and a channel name, which costs the first five seconds and gives the viewer nothing.
Explaining the backstory of how you came to make the video before saying what the video is about.
Writing a hook that describes the topic instead of the payoff, so the viewer cannot tell what they will get.
Letting the intro run past 30 seconds, which pushes the actual content past the point where many viewers have already decided.
Planning numbers
About 108 words
Script length that fills a 30 second intro
0:00 to 0:05
Opening block to write first
216 wpm (median for under 1 minute videos)
Words per minute of finished video
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a YouTube intro be?
Thirty seconds at the outside, and often less. The first 30 seconds hold about 108 words at 216 words per minute of finished video, the median for under 1 minute videos, which is roughly four short sentences. If your intro needs more than that, the material after it is starting too late.
Should I greet my viewers at the start?
A greeting is a habit from live or episodic formats. For a video found through search, the greeting uses the seconds that decide whether the viewer stays. Greet returning viewers in the first comment or at the end instead.
Do I need a preview of what is coming in the intro?
A two or three second preview of the payoff works well, because it tells the viewer what they are waiting for. A full montage of the whole video does not, because it removes the reason to keep watching.
Can I use the same intro structure for every video?
Yes on a channel, no in the wording. A consistent beat structure helps returning viewers, but the sentences themselves have to change, or the opening stops carrying information.
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