A hook is the first line someone reads on your pin, usually the big text on the image and the start of the title. On a busy feed it has about a second to answer two questions: is this for me, and what do I get? The formulas here are patterns that answer both, from numbered lists and how-tos to mistakes, questions and seasonal angles.
Fill in your topic, who it is for and the result they want, and every formula updates. Filter by type when you want a specific angle, switch to title case for pin text, and copy the ones you like. Treat them as starting points: the best hooks keep the formula but add a detail only you would know.
What makes a pin hook work
Good hooks are specific. "Dinner ideas" describes a topic, while "7 freezer dinners for busy parents" names a number, a format and a reader. Specific words also help search, because they match how people type queries into Pinterest.
Keep the image text short enough to read on a phone, usually under eight words, and put the full hook in the pin title. If you are testing several hooks for the same page, make one design per hook with the pin variations generator and track which one earns more outbound clicks.
Matching the hook to the content
A hook is a promise, so pick the type that the page can keep. A list hook needs a list, a before and after hook needs real results, and a mistake hook needs an explanation of the fix. Hooks that overpromise get clicks once and then lose saves and follows.
Once you have a hook, the title generator and description generator help you write the rest of the pin around it.