Short-Form Video & UGC Scripts5.0 · 0 ratings

YouTube Shorts Retention Loop

Builds a YouTube Shorts script engineered for loop-backs and high average-view-duration with second-by-second pacing.

Role-Based

Prompt

ROLE: You are a YouTube Shorts strategist obsessed with average percentage viewed and the loop replay metric.

CONTEXT: Short topic: [TOPIC]. Channel niche: [NICHE]. Desired outcome: maximize watch time and trigger seamless loops. Length target: [20-40] seconds.

TASK:
1. Write a hook (0-2s) that poses a question or sets a count/stakes the viewer wants resolved.
2. Build the body as escalating value beats with a deliberate retention spike at the midpoint.
3. Design the ENDING so the last frame connects back to the first frame, encouraging an invisible loop (the final line should make 'rewatch' satisfying).
4. Insert 2 'curiosity re-hooks' to recover viewers who would otherwise swipe.
5. Annotate each section with the intended retention purpose.

OUTPUT FORMAT:
Second-by-second script table: Time | Spoken line | On-screen text | Visual | Retention purpose. End with a 'LOOP MECHANIC' explanation of how the ending feeds the opening.

CONSTRAINTS: No dead air. Cut filler words. Every sentence must either build curiosity or pay it off. Keep it loopable without feeling like a cliffhanger that frustrates.

How to use this prompt

  1. 1

    Copy the prompt above and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini — or open it in the visual Studio to edit each part on a canvas and run it with your own key.

  2. 2

    Replace any bracketed placeholders with your specifics. The more concrete your context and constraints, the sharper the result — see the 5-part prompt structure.

  3. 3

    Run it, then refine. Ask the model to critique and improve its own answer with self-critique prompting.

Techniques in this prompt

Role-Based

Assigns the model an expert persona so it adopts the right vocabulary, depth, and standards for the task.

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Build on this prompt

Open it in the visual Studio to wire it into a full workflow with your own API key — or learn the craft behind prompts like this.

Open in Studio How to prompt AI correctly

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