Prompt Library

YouTube Shorts Prompts That Actually Go Viral

20 copy-paste prompts

20 ChatGPT prompts for viral hooks, content ideas, tight scripts, retention tactics, and the short-form formulas that drive subscriber acquisition in 2026.

In short: This page contains 20 copy-paste ready prompts, organized into 4 categories with a description and pro tip for each. The first 15 prompts are free instantly — no signup needed. Hand-curated and tested by the AI Academy team.

By Louis Corneloup · Founder, Techpresso
Last updated ·Hand-curated & tested by the AI Academy team

Ideas + Hooks

4 prompts

Viral Shorts Idea Generator

1/20

Generate 20 Shorts ideas for [niche]. Formats: 1st-person experiences, tips/tricks, hot takes, story-time, compilations, reactions. Include: hook angle, 30-60 sec structure, audio trend pairing, crossover appeal. Mix easy + hard to execute.

Generates 20 diverse YouTube Shorts ideas.

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Pro tip: Shorts idea generation: 20 ideas → 5 good → 2 great. Volume fuels quality. Write ideas without filter; evaluate after. Best ideas often feel "weird" at first.

Viral Hook Writer

2/20

Write 10 viral hooks for Short. Topic: [describe]. Include: question hook, bold claim, mistake reveal, "if you're [audience]" call-out, curiosity gap, contrarian take. Each under 3 seconds delivery. Stop thumb-scroll.

Writes viral 3-second hooks for Shorts.

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Pro tip: Shorts retention: first 3 seconds determine everything. If viewer scrolls past, video dies. Pattern interrupt: bold visual + bold claim + curiosity = thumb-stopping.

Story Format Short

3/20

Script story-format Short. Topic: [describe]. Include: 3-second hook (most interesting element first), rapid setup (5 seconds), payoff/twist (15 seconds), visual variety, subtitle optimization, punchy close. 30-45 seconds total.

Scripts story-format Shorts with 3-second hooks.

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Pro tip: Short stories: start at climax, tell backstory later. "Here's why I quit my $200K job..." (hook) → backstory → resolution. Chronological boring; climax-first hooks.

Tutorial Short

4/20

Script tutorial Short. Skill: [describe]. Include: problem hook ("struggling with X?"), before state, 3-step solution (compressed!), result shown, CTA. 30-45 sec. Fast cuts, text overlays, clear screen recordings if applicable.

Scripts tutorial Shorts with compressed 3-step solutions.

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Pro tip: Tutorial Shorts: distill to 3 essential steps. Full tutorial = long-form video. Short = teaser + "watch full video." Audience who likes Short subscribes; clicks long-form.

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Scripts + Structure

4 prompts

30-Second Script Template

5/20

Write 30-second Short script. Topic: [describe]. Structure: hook (3 sec), context (5 sec), value/story (15 sec), climax/reveal (5 sec), close/CTA (2 sec). Word-count: ~80-90 words. Visual + verbal layering.

Writes tight 30-second scripts with structured beats.

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Pro tip: 30-sec Short = 80-90 words spoken. Script word count; read aloud for timing. Cutting pauses + redundancy = fits more content. Dense = better retention.

60-Second Script Template

6/20

Write 60-second Short script. Topic: [describe]. Structure: hook (3 sec), setup (10 sec), main content (35 sec), climax (7 sec), close (5 sec). 140-160 words. Multiple "re-hooks" to prevent drop-off.

Writes 60-second Shorts with multiple re-hooks.

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Pro tip: 60-sec Shorts need re-hooks every 10-15 seconds. Audience boredom threshold short. "And here's the best part..." at 20 sec, 40 sec keeps scroll-away tendency in check.

Long-Form to Short

7/20

Convert long-form content to Short. Source: [describe video or topic]. Include: most clippable 30-60 sec section, reframed hook for standalone watching, lose context that won't translate, add text overlays, retain original voice + energy.

Converts long-form content into standalone Shorts.

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Pro tip: Long-to-short conversion: each long video = 3-5 Shorts. Moments with big claims + reactions + numbers translate best. Educational segments need most reframing.

Script Cuts + Pacing

8/20

Edit Short script for pacing. Current: [paste]. Include: tightening filler words, combining ideas, cutting weak moments, adding retention hooks, visual variety notes, subtitle timing, sound effect cues.

Edits Short scripts for maximum pacing.

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Pro tip: Short pacing: cut 30% of draft. "Um, so basically" = 1.5 seconds wasted. Every second counts. Draft long; edit ruthlessly. Tight scripts feel energetic.

Retention + Algorithm

4 prompts

Retention Optimization

9/20

Optimize my Short for retention. Script: [paste]. Include: hook strength review, drop-off risk moments, text overlay opportunities, visual cut frequency, audio enhancement, specific timestamp improvements.

Reviews Shorts for retention optimization.

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Pro tip: Shorts retention threshold: 70%+ average view duration = algorithm pushes. Below 50% = buried. Every second shaved from boring = retention boost. Ruthless editing wins.

Subtitle Strategy

10/20

Design Short subtitles. Script: [paste]. Include: bold highlight words, timing sync with speech, mobile-readable font size, placement avoiding UI overlap, caption style (animated vs static), language accessibility.

Designs Short subtitles with animation and placement.

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Pro tip: 80% of Shorts watched muted. Subtitles essential, not optional. Bold highlight key words; use motion graphics; avoid bottom (UI overlap). Caption = content amplifier.

Trending Audio Pairing

11/20

Pair content with trending audio. Niche: [describe]. Include: current trending sounds analysis, audio-content alignment (match energy/mood), 3-5 sound options per Short, usage trend (rising vs peaking), viral timing.

Pairs Shorts content with trending audio.

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Pro tip: Trending audio can 10x views. Rising trends > peaked trends. Pair audio with content; don't force. Sometimes ignore trends if content stronger standalone. Balance trends + originals.

Algorithm Hack Analysis

12/20

Analyze Shorts algorithm for my niche. Current performance: [views/CTR/retention]. Include: patterns in my top Shorts, time-of-day posting, frequency optimization, hashtag strategy, comment engagement tactics, reply-as-Short opportunities.

Analyzes Shorts algorithm performance for patterns.

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Pro tip: Shorts algorithm rewards consistency + retention. Daily posting beats weekly batching. Comments engage algo; reply to every comment first hour. Small adjustments = exponential growth.

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Growth + Monetization

4 prompts

30-Day Shorts Plan

13/20

Build 30-day Shorts plan. Niche: [describe]. Goal: [subscribers, views, brand]. Include: posting frequency (daily minimum), format variety, series ideas, engagement tactics, analytics review schedule, adjustment framework based on performance.

Builds 30-day Shorts growth plans.

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Pro tip: New channels: 30 Shorts in 30 days = minimum test. Algorithm requires data to categorize. Quantity + consistency > perfection. Quality improves through volume, not waiting.

Shorts → Long-Form Funnel

14/20

Build Shorts to long-form funnel. Current: [describe]. Include: Shorts as hooks to long-form videos, end-screen redirect strategy, description links, series branding, converting Shorts subscribers to long-form viewers.

Builds conversion funnels from Shorts to long-form.

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Pro tip: Shorts grow subscribers; long-form monetizes. Shorts subs often don't watch long videos. Create long-form specifically designed to retain Shorts audience: shorter long-form, similar energy.

Shorts Monetization Strategy

15/20

Monetize Shorts. Current views: [describe]. Include: Shorts fund qualification, ad revenue sharing (2026 updates), brand deals strategy, affiliate links in bio, channel membership, Patreon pipeline, NOT reliant on Shorts alone.

Builds Shorts monetization strategies.

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Pro tip: Shorts ad share: 45% of revenue from Shorts ads. Low RPM (~$0.05 per 1000 views). Brand deals + affiliates + long-form pipeline = actual income. Shorts ads alone rarely sustainable.

Shorts Analytics Deep Dive

16/20

Deep dive Shorts analytics. Metrics: [views, retention, subscribers]. Include: top-performers common threads, failures common threads, posting time analysis, topic performance patterns, next 30-day strategy adjustments.

Deep dives Shorts analytics for strategic adjustments.

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Pro tip: Shorts analytics reveal patterns: certain topics, hooks, lengths outperform. Double down on top performers' patterns; abandon underperformer patterns. Data > instinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

15-60 seconds. 30-45 optimal for most niches. Longer = more watch time signal if retention stays high. Shorter = easier high retention. Test both for your niche.
Yes for growth phase. Algorithm rewards consistency + frequency. 1-3 Shorts/day viable for new channels. Established channels can reduce. Daily for first 90 days = algorithm learns you.
Separate from long-form. Need: 1,000 subscribers + 10M Shorts views in 90 days (or 4,000 long-form hours). Shorts fund + ad share from 2023+. Lower RPM than long-form ads.
All 3 ideally (repurpose same content). YouTube Shorts best for subscriber → long-form funnel. TikTok best for raw virality. Reels best for existing Instagram audience. Minimum = cross-post all 3.
Mixed evidence. Channels that post Shorts + long-form often grow both. Shorts-only subscribers rarely watch long-form but grow subscriber count. Strategic balance: 5 Shorts : 1 long-form.

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