LinkedIn hook checker

See what people read before “…more”, and whether it makes them click.

Your post

An example. Paste yours over it.
Opening110/210

Try a different opening

Proven shapes for a first line. Each example is complete, so you can use it as it is or swap in your own details.

  • From your post · Drop the warm-up

    What 14 hires in one year taught me about hiring and building a team that actually stays.

    Cut “I’m excited to” and start with what you were going to say.

  • Admit you were wrong

    I was wrong about cold emails. They still work, just not the way I sent them.

    Name a belief you held and say it out loud. People stop for a change of mind.

  • Lead with a number

    37 sales calls taught me more than 3 years of reading about sales.

    Put a real number first, then what it taught you.

  • Myth, then the truth

    Most people think a good CV gets you hired. It mostly gets you a phone call.

    State what most people believe, then turn it in the next sentence.

  • Start in the moment

    At 11:40 PM on a Sunday, my biggest client emailed: “We need to talk.”

    Drop the reader into a scene: a time, a place, a line someone said.

  • Ask their question

    Why do your best people leave right after their best year?

    Ask the question your reader is already asking themselves.

  • Before and after

    Last year I worked 60-hour weeks. This year I work 40 and get more done.

    Show a clear change between two points in time.

  • A bold, specific claim

    Your first 10 hires shape your culture more than any values poster ever will.

    Say something you can back up, specific enough to argue with.

  • One line that stuck

    One line from my first manager still saves me every week: “Send the ugly draft.”

    Share a single piece of advice and who gave it to you.

Hook score

A guide, not a promise of reach

8/10

Good, with a tweak or two

Biggest win: Start with the news, the number or the moment itself, and skip the warm-up.

Before “…more”

Y
You
Your headline
Now ·
I’m excited to share what 14 hires in one year taught me about hiring and building a team that actually stays. Four of them left within…
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Phones show 136 of your 456 characters before “…more”. The cut can move a little with screen size.

To sharpen · 2

  • Fresh opening words0/1.5

    It opens with “I’m excited to…”. Readers have seen it so often they scroll on.

    Try: Start with the news, the number or the moment itself, and skip the warm-up.

  • Short first line0.75/1.5

    Your first line is 110 characters. On a phone that wraps to 3 lines before anyone gets the point.

    Try: Cut it to under 70 characters, about 8 to 12 words. Move the rest to line 2.

Working · 9

  • Opening fits before “…more”1/1

    Your opening paragraph is 110 characters, so it shows in full on desktop and on phones.

  • A specific detail1/1

    There’s a number, date or concrete detail before “…more”. Specifics make a claim believable.

  • A reason to keep reading1.5/1.5

    There’s a question, a twist or an open loop. People click “…more” to close it.

  • Leads with the reader or the moment0.5/0.5

    It starts with “I”, but there’s a twist, so it reads as a story, not an update.

  • No hashtags, links or tags up top0.5/0.5

    The opening is plain words, with nothing pulling the eye away.

  • Easy on emoji0.5/0.5

    No emoji in the opening. Words do the work.

  • No shouting0.5/0.5

    No lines in capitals. The hook speaks at a normal volume.

  • First line stands alone1/1

    There’s a line break after line 1, so it lands on its own and line 2 pulls people on.

  • Easy to read0.5/0.5

    The opening reads at a school-age level. Nobody has to slow down.

The score adds up 11 simple rules, worth 10 points in all. It can’t tell if your idea is good. That part is up to you.

The first two lines

Check your LinkedIn hook
before “…more” hides it.

LinkedIn shows the first few lines of your post and hides the rest behind “…more”. That’s your hook. People decide in a second whether to open the rest or keep scrolling. Most posts lose them right there.

This free LinkedIn hook checker shows you exactly where your post gets cut on desktop and on a phone. It scores your opening out of 10 and tells you, in plain words, what helps and what hurts: weak openers, missing detail, a first line that runs too long. Fix it and check again.

How to check your LinkedIn hook

  1. Paste your post, or just the first few lines.
  2. Look at the preview to see where “…more” cuts it. Switch between desktop and mobile, because phones show less.
  3. Read the checks. Each one says why it matters and what to try.
  4. Rewrite the opening and watch the score change as you type.

What makes a good LinkedIn hook

A good hook makes a promise or opens a gap. A number, a mistake you made, a result, a claim people will want to argue with. Something specific. “I lost my biggest client last week” works. “I’m excited to share some thoughts” doesn’t.

Keep the first line short. Then break the line. The space after it pulls the eye down and makes the post look easy to read.

Tip: Don’t open with “I’m humbled”, “In today’s fast-paced world” or “Hey everyone”. People have seen those a thousand times. They scroll.

How many characters show before “…more”

On desktop, LinkedIn shows roughly the first 210 characters, or about three lines, whichever comes first. Blank lines count as lines. On phones you usually get less. That’s why a short first line with a break after it tends to show the most of your hook.

The cut moves a little with screen size, so treat the preview as a close guide, not a promise to the character.

LinkedIn hook examples that work

The confession: “I got this wrong for 5 years.” People can’t resist a mistake. The number: “We cut our sales cycle from 90 days to 31.” Specific numbers feel true. The contrast: “Everyone says post daily. I post twice a week and grew faster.” A claim people want to check.

The moment: drop the reader into a scene. “The client called at 11 PM on a Sunday.” The question works too, as long as it’s one your reader already asks themselves.

Your job is to make the next line feel necessary. Try two or three openings here and keep the one that scores best and still sounds like you.

All free tools

Questions about the LinkedIn hook checker.

What is a hook on LinkedIn?

It’s the part of your post people see before they click “…more”, usually the first one to three lines. It decides whether anyone reads the rest.

How many characters show before “…more” on LinkedIn?

About 210 characters on desktop, or around three lines, whichever comes first. Phones usually show less. The preview here shows both.

How is the hook score worked out?

It’s a set of plain rules, shown under the score: length of the first line, weak or overused openers, specific details like numbers, a question or contrast, and clutter like hashtags or links. It’s a guide, not a prediction of reach.

Does this use AI?

No. Every check runs in your browser using simple rules, so it’s instant and your post never leaves your device.

Should I start a LinkedIn post with a question?

Only if it’s a question your reader is already asking themselves. A specific question works. A vague one like “Ever wondered about leadership?” reads like filler.

Posting every week is the hard part.

Wiral turns a thought, a voice note or a link into three posts that sound like you, with images and carousels built in. You pick one, it goes in your queue.

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