tokconnect
A TikTok script is the words you will say, written as five short parts: a first line that uses the phrase people type into search, a promise, the steps or the point, one piece of proof, and a close. Write it as bullets, not sentences, at about 3 words a second. Below: the seconds each part gets in a 20, 40 and 60 second video, and 12 TikTok script templates to fill in, each with an example built from a phrase people search for.
The timings and templates come from videos that already rank: how 89 of them open, what 108 of their captions contain, and how long 100 of them run. First lines are covered in the hooks guide and captions in the caption guide; this page is the 20 to 60 seconds between them.
What a script is on TikTok
On TikTok a script is a plan for one point, spoken in under a minute, with the topic named in the first breath. Most videos that rank do exactly that: of 89 videos ranking for eight everyday searches, 34 open their caption by naming the search phrase and nothing else.
The words you say are part of how you get found. TikTok's search matches your caption, your on-screen text and your spoken words, and since November 2023 it has generated captions on every eligible video by default, so what you say becomes text TikTok can read (how TikTok search works). For a script that means the phrase goes in your mouth, not just in the caption.
How to write a TikTok script: the five parts
Every template below has the same five parts, in this order.
Hook. The first line: the search phrase plus the detail that makes the video yours. "First apartment essentials, the five I actually used" is a hook. "You need to see this" names nothing.
Promise. One line on what the viewer will have when the video ends. It buys you the next 30 seconds.
Steps or the point. At least half the video. Number the steps out loud: of 108 ranking captions, the 24 with a number had about double the median saves of the rest (35,592 against 16,502).
Proof or example. Something the camera can show: the result, the before and after, the thing in your hand. AI cannot write this part for you.
Close. One sentence asking for a save, a follow or a comment. Pick one. Of the 19 ranking captions with a call to action, 11 asked for a save, 6 for a follow and 4 for a comment. It made no visible difference to saves, so the close is for the viewer, not the ranking.
| Part | What it does | 20-second video | 40-second video | 60-second video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | Says the search phrase | 0 to 3 s | 0 to 3 s | 0 to 4 s |
| Promise | What they get by the end | 3 to 5 s | 3 to 7 s | 4 to 9 s |
| Steps or point | The content, numbered | 5 to 15 s | 7 to 28 s | 9 to 42 s |
| Proof or example | Something shown, not claimed | 15 to 18 s | 28 to 35 s | 42 to 53 s |
| Close | Save, follow or comment | 18 to 20 s | 35 to 40 s | 53 to 60 s |
| Word budget | At about 3 words a second | 60 words | 120 words | 180 words |
Lengths: 100 videos ranking for ten everyday searches on 22 September 2026, median 41.3 seconds by relevance; 31 of 100 ran 15 to 30 seconds and 34 ran 1 to 3 minutes. Snapshot. Word rate: four TikTok auto-caption files (40 words in 15 s, 134 in 37 s, 167 in 56 s, 343 in 105 s). Snapshot. Timings within each length are our split.
The three lengths come from those 100 videos. Searches where the viewer copies a trick (workout, cleaning hacks, dog training) ranked clips with medians of 17 to 27 seconds: the 20-second script. The median over all ten searches was 41 seconds: the 40-second script. Searches where the viewer wants a plan (budgeting, study tips, small business tips) ranked medians of 63 to 70 seconds: the 60-second script, which also clears TikTok's one-minute line for Creator Rewards pay. The length guide has every search. If in doubt, write the 20 or 40: the ranking videos in our hooks and caption sets had medians of 27 and 32 seconds.
"Hey guys, so today I wanted to talk about something a lot of you have been asking me about, and I finally got round to it, so..." That is 15 seconds with no search phrase and nothing for the viewer to hold, and the auto captions open with words nobody types. Cut everything before the phrase. Your name can come after the promise, if at all.
12 TikTok script templates
Each template has five lines to fill in and a filled example. Every example opens with a phrase from TikTok's own autocomplete, pulled on 19 and 22 September 2026, because a phrase in the drop-down is one enough people typed for TikTok to predict it. Swap the bracketed part for a phrase from your own autocomplete and keep it word for word. Numbers are structure (three steps, five slides), never claims.
1. How-to in three steps
Use it when there is a clear order to follow. About 40 seconds.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: skincare routine step by step |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "[Search phrase], in three steps, for [who]." | "Skincare routine step by step, in three steps, for someone who has never had one." |
| Promise | "By the end you'll have [result] with [small effort]." | "By the end you'll have a morning routine that takes four minutes and three products." |
| Steps | "Step one, [action]. Step two, [action]. Step three, [action]." | "Step one, cleanser: wet face, pea-sized amount, rinse. Step two, moisturiser while your face is still damp. Step three, sunscreen, and step three is the one people skip." |
| Proof | "Here's [the thing], so you can see it's really [claim in the promise]." | "Here's the shelf. Three bottles. That's the whole routine." |
| Close | "Save this for [the moment they'll need it]." | "Save this for the next time you're in the shop staring at forty bottles." |
2. Mistake and fix
Use it when most people get one thing wrong and the fix is quick. About 25 seconds.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: cleaning hacks for bathroom |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "[Search phrase], starting with the one thing you're doing wrong." | "Cleaning hacks for bathroom, starting with the one thing you're doing wrong." |
| Promise | "Fix this and [result]." | "Fix this and the same spray does twice the work." |
| Point | "The mistake is [X]. The fix is [Y]." | "The mistake is spraying and wiping straight away. The fix is spray, walk away for five minutes, then wipe." |
| Proof | "Watch: [side one], [side two]." | "Watch: this half I wiped straight away, this half sat for five minutes." |
| Close | "Comment [word] if you [already do it], and follow for [the next one]." | "Comment 'sat' if you already do this, and follow for the kitchen one next." |
3. Before and after
Use it when the result is visible and the camera can hold on both states. About 20 seconds.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: first apartment decorating |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "[Search phrase]: this was [before], and this is [after]." | "First apartment decorating: this was move-in day, and this is week three." |
| Promise | "[N] things made the difference." | "Three things made the difference." |
| Point | "First, [change]. Second, [change]. Third, [change]." | "First, one big rug instead of four small things. Second, a lamp on the floor, not the ceiling light. Third, curtains hung as high as the wall goes." |
| Proof | "Same [spot], same camera, before and after." | "Same corner, same camera spot, before and after." |
| Close | "Save this for [their version of the moment]." | "Save this for your own move-in day." |
4. List of N
Use it for anything people collect: items, ideas, places. About 40 seconds for five items.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: first apartment essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "[N] [search phrase] I actually [used/kept]." | "Five first apartment essentials I actually used in the first month." |
| Promise | "Nothing [decorative/obvious]. Every one of these [test]." | "Nothing decorative. Every one of these got used in week one." |
| List | "One, [item], because [reason]. Two... Five..." | "One, a plunger, before you need it. Two, a shower curtain and the rings, because the flat won't have them. Three, a basic toolkit for the flat-pack. Four, a bin with a lid. Five, a doormat, or you clean the floor every day." |
| Proof | "The one I forgot was [item]. [What happened]." | "The one I forgot was the plunger. I'll leave that there." |
| Close | "Save this and send it to [who]." | "Save this and send it to whoever is moving next." |
5. Myth vs fact
Use it when your topic has one piece of advice everyone repeats and you can show why it fails. About 30 seconds.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: study motivation |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "[Search phrase]: the thing everyone says about it that isn't true." | "Study motivation: the thing everyone says about it that isn't true." |
| Promise | "Once you drop it, [result]." | "Once you drop it, starting gets easier." |
| Point | "The myth is [X]. What I've found is [Y]." | "The myth is that you need to feel motivated before you start. What I've found is it turns up a few minutes after I start, not before." |
| Proof | "So I [what you do]. Here's [the evidence]." | "So I set a timer for five minutes and open the book. Here's the timer. Most days I keep going when it rings." |
| Close | "Follow for [the next version]." | "Follow for the exam-week version." |
6. "If you... then"
Use it when the viewer's situation decides the answer. This opener was on none of the 89 ranking captions, so it is a feed hook: keep the search phrase inside the sentence and in the caption. About 20 seconds.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: gift ideas for boyfriend |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "If [situation], then these [search phrase] are for you." | "If your boyfriend says he doesn't want anything, then these gift ideas for boyfriend are for you." |
| Promise | "[N] that work when [the hard case]." | "Three that work when 'nothing' is the answer." |
| Point | "If [X], then [answer]. If [Y], then [answer]. If [Z], then [answer]." | "If he cooks, then a knife he wouldn't buy himself. If he runs, then socks, the good ones. If he says he has everything, then a ticket to something, because you can't already own a Tuesday." |
| Proof | "I picked [one]. Here's [the result]." | "I picked the ticket. Here's the face." |
| Close | "Save this for [month/moment]." | "Save this for December." |
7. Story with a lesson
Use it when something happened to you and the lesson is the useful part. Story captions had the highest median saves of any structure in the caption data, 31,229. About 60 seconds.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: public speaking at school |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "[Search phrase]: the time I [event], and what fixed it." | "Public speaking at school: the time I froze in front of thirty people, and what fixed it." |
| Promise | "If you [same problem], one thing changes it." | "If you freeze too, one thing changes it." |
| Story | "It was [when]. I [what happened]. Then [the turning point]." | "Year ten, a five-minute talk on volcanoes. I got two sentences in and my mind emptied. I stood there for what felt like a minute. Afterwards a teacher said: you memorised sentences, so when one went, they all went." |
| Lesson and proof | "What I do now: [practice]. Here's [the evidence]." | "What I do now: five bullet points, not sentences, and I say the first line out loud twenty times before I stand up. Here are the bullets from my last talk. Five words each." |
| Close | "If you've got [event] coming up, save this and comment when it's done." | "If you've got a talk coming up, save this, and comment when it's done. I want to know." |
8. Comparison
Use it when the viewer is choosing between two searched things. Only 2 of the 89 ranking captions were comparisons, but those two had a median of 21 million plays. About 40 seconds.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: workout at home vs workout gym |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "[Phrase A] vs [phrase B], for [who]." | "Workout at home vs workout gym, for someone with thirty minutes." |
| Promise | "By the end you'll know which one to [do] tomorrow." | "By the end you'll know which one to pick tomorrow." |
| Point | "On [factor], [A] wins because... On [factor], [B] wins because... On [factor], [it depends]." | "On time, home wins: no travel, no waiting for the rack. On weight, the gym wins, because at some point a rucksack of books stops being heavy. On sticking with it, whichever one you can start within two minutes of deciding." |
| Proof | "Here's my [week/log], side by side." | "Here's my week: three home sessions, one gym session, and the gym one is the one I skipped twice." |
| Close | "Comment which one you're [doing] tomorrow." | "Comment which one you're doing tomorrow." |
9. Reply to a comment
Use it whenever a comment asks something you can answer in 30 seconds. Three of the 89 ranking videos were replies, with a median of 38,133 saves. Read the question, then say the search phrase.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: dinner ideas for family |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "Replying to: '[the question]'. [Search phrase], the [angle] version." | "Replying to: 'what do you cook when everyone wants something different?' Dinner ideas for family, the build-your-own version." |
| Promise | "[Setup], and nobody [problem]." | "One base, five bowls, nobody argues." |
| Point | "The base is [X]. Then each person adds [Y]." | "The base is rice or jacket potatoes. Then bowls: chicken, beans, cheese, salsa, sweetcorn. Everyone builds their own plate." |
| Proof | "Here's tonight's." | "Here's tonight's. Four plates, four different dinners, one pan." |
| Close | "Ask me the next one in the comments." | "Ask me the next one in the comments and I'll answer it in a video." |
10. Product demo
Use it when people are deciding whether to buy and the listing photos hide something. About 30 seconds.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: room decor amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "[Search phrase]: what [the product] actually looks like in [real setting]." | "Room decor Amazon: what a sunset lamp actually looks like in a normal-sized room." |
| Promise | "Watch before you order." | "Watch this before you order one." |
| Point | "Out of the box: [what's inside]. Set up: [how]. The [N] things the listing doesn't show: [X], [Y]." | "Out of the box: the lamp, one cable, one switch. On the wall: this is the circle at two metres, this is at one metre. The listing doesn't show the cable length or how orange it runs, so here's both." |
| Proof | "[Condition one], then [condition two]. Same [spot]." | "Daylight, then lights off. Same corner." |
| Close | "Comment '[word]' and I'll [what you'll send]." | "Comment 'lamp' if you want the one I'd pick over this." |
11. Day in the life with a point
Use it when your routine is the proof; the point is what makes a vlog worth saving. First-person openers were on 9 of the 89 ranking captions. About 60 seconds.
| Part | Fill-in line | Example: side hustle for student |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | "[Search phrase]: a day in my life, and the one [hour/thing] that actually [matters]." | "Side hustle for student: a day in my life, and the one hour that actually earns." |
| Promise | "Skip to [the part] if you like. The point is [the point]." | "Skip to 4pm if you like. The point is it's one hour, not all day." |
| Beats | "[Time], [scene]. [Time], [scene]. [Time], this is the [hour]: [what you do]." | "7am, lecture, no hustle. Twelve, lunch, I answer two messages. 4pm, this is the hour: I sit down and edit other students' CVs, which is the thing I sell. 5pm, done, and the evening is mine." |
| Point and proof | "The point: [lesson]. [Why it works for you]." | "The point: it's an hour on a timetable, the same slot every day, and it's the slot I used to spend scrolling." |
| Close | "Follow and I'll show [the boring bit]." | "Follow and I'll show the boring bit: how I found the first person to pay." |
12. Slideshow script
Use it when the content is a list people will swipe through with the sound off. The script is the text on each slide, and TikTok reads that text. Ranking slideshows have a median of six slides (slideshow guide), so seven is plenty. Keep each slide under 15 words.
| Slide | Fill-in text | Example: gift ideas for best friend |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (hook) | "[Search phrase], [N] slides, [what's different]" | "Gift ideas for best friend, 7 slides, none of them a candle" |
| 2 (promise) | "Every one of these [test]" | "Every one of these gets used, not put in a drawer" |
| 3 to 6 (list) | "[Item]: [one line why]" | "A framed photo of the two of you she's never seen printed" / "A book with your notes in the margins" / "Tickets for something in three months, so there's a date to look forward to" / "The thing she keeps saying she'll buy and never does" |
| 7 (close) | "Save this for [moment]. Which one?" | "Save this for her birthday. Comment which one you'd want" |
| Caption | "[Search phrase], [N] slides" then hashtags | "Gift ideas for best friend, 7 slides" |
Phrases: TikTok search autocomplete via TokConnect, 19 September 2026 (20 seeds) and 22 September 2026 (public speaking, first apartment). Opener and reply counts: 89 ranking captions, 20 September 2026. Number, call-to-action and story figures: 108 ranking captions, 21 September 2026.
More formats, with the demand behind each, are in the video ideas guide. The five parts still apply.
Say the search words out loud
TikTok turns your speech into captions automatically, and those captions are text it can match against searches. They are machine output nobody checks unless you do; when we pulled the caption files for the videos ranking for one search, product names, numbers and accents were where they slipped (transcript guide).
So say the phrase the way someone would type it: whole, not split across a breath, slowly enough that the recogniser gets every word, once in the first line and once near the close ("save this first apartment essentials list"). Before you post, open the caption editor and read the first line back. If the phrase came out wrong, fix it there.
Reading a script without sounding like you're reading
Reading full sentences on camera shows: the eyes track, the voice flattens, the pauses land where the lines break instead of where the thought does. The fix is in how you write, not how you perform.
Write the first line word for word and learn it. Write everything else as bullets of five to ten words, one per part: "spray, walk away, five minutes, wipe" is a bullet, and the sentence you say from it will be different each take, which is the point. Tape the bullets next to the lens, not below it.
Then record twice, every time. The first take is the rehearsal, where you find the line that does not work in your mouth. Change it, record again, post the second. If it runs long, cut the promise or the close, never the steps.
Get the phrases and three drafts from an agent
The slow part is the first step: finding the exact phrases people type around your topic, seed by seed, in the search bar. An AI agent connected to TikTok's search data through TokConnect does it in one prompt and drafts the scripts in the same pass.
Give me the exact phrases people search for around [topic] and draft three 30-second scripts that open with them.
Works in Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Gemini once TokConnect is connected. Get a free key (100 credits, no card) or see the setup guides.
You get the autocomplete list, then three scripts in the five-part shape, each opening with a phrase word for word. Treat them as first takes: swap in your own proof, read the first line out loud, and cut whatever you would not say to a friend.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write a TikTok script?
Write five parts in order. A hook that says the phrase people search for, a one-line promise of what they will have by the end, the steps or the point, one piece of proof you can show on camera, and a close that asks for a save, a follow or a comment. Write each part as a bullet of five to ten words, not as sentences, and say the first line out loud a few times before you record. The twelve templates on this page fill in the five parts for the most common video types.
How long should a TikTok script be?
About 3 words for every second of video, which is what four TikTok auto-caption files worked out to. So 60 words for a 20-second video, 120 for 40 seconds and 180 for a minute. Pick the length from the videos already ranking for your search. Across 100 ranking videos for ten everyday searches the median was 41 seconds, quick how-to tricks ranked at 17 to 27 seconds, and plans and explanations at about a minute. Our length guide has the full table.
Do I need a script for TikTok?
Not for a reaction, a clip of your day or a trend with a sound. You do if the video has a point and you freeze once the camera is on. A script here means five bullets on a piece of paper next to the lens, not a page of sentences. It also makes the first line reliable, and the first line is where the search phrase has to land.
What should the first line of a TikTok be?
The phrase someone would type to find the video, plus the detail that makes it theirs: "first apartment essentials, the five I actually used" rather than "you need to see this". In a set of 89 videos ranking for eight searches, the plain search phrase was the most common opener, on 34 of them, and questions, warnings and "stop doing this" openers barely appeared. The hooks guide has 40 first lines built this way.
Should I read from a teleprompter?
You can, but reading full sentences shows: the eyes track, the voice flattens and the pauses land in the wrong places. If you use a teleprompter app, put bullets in it rather than sentences and set the scroll speed slower than you think you need. A cheaper fix is five bullets on paper taped next to the lens. Either way, record twice; the second take is the one you post.
Can AI write my TikTok script?
It can draft the structure, and it does it better when you give it the real search phrases instead of a topic name. Ask it for the phrases people type around your topic first, then for scripts that open with them. Two parts still have to be yours: the proof, because it has to be something you can show on camera, and the first line, which you should read out loud and adjust until it sounds like you. Check that the search phrase survived the edit in one piece.
Sources and data
- Search on TikTok (TikTok Help Center)
- Introducing auto captions (TikTok Newsroom, April 2021)
- TikTok announces all videos will have default auto captions (Social Media Today, October 2023)
- Opener patterns and counts for 89 captions ranking in eight searches, 20 September 2026 (snapshot)
- Captions, lengths, plays and saves for 89 ranking videos, 20 September 2026 (snapshot)
- 108 captions ranking in ten searches with per-caption analysis, 21 September 2026 (snapshot)
- Lengths, views and saves of 100 videos ranking in ten searches, 22 September 2026 (snapshot)
- Word counts of four TikTok auto-caption files, 20 September 2026 (snapshot)
- TikTok search autocomplete for 20 seeds, 19 September 2026 (snapshot)
- TikTok search autocomplete for public speaking and first apartment, 22 September 2026 (snapshot)