How to Write Video Scripts with AI (YouTube, TikTok, Reels)

Before asking AI for the script, it helps to understand the three parts every video script must have, because you’ll use them in the prompt:

Hook: the first 2 to 5 seconds. Decides whether the viewer stays or leaves. Can be a provocative question, a surprising fact, or a counterintuitive statement.

Body: the development of the topic. Here goes the value promised in the hook: the steps, the tips, the story, the demonstration.

Close: the last 15 to 30 seconds. Includes the summary, the call to action (subscribe, save the video, visit the link), and if applicable, the teaser for the next video.

Script length depends on the platform:

Platform	Video length	Approx. words
TikTok / Reels (short)	30 to 60 s	75 to 150 words
TikTok / Reels (long)	60 to 90 s	150 to 225 words
YouTube Shorts	60 s	150 to 225 words
Standard YouTube	8 to 12 min	1,200 to 2,000 words

With this map in mind, the prompt you give AI will be much more precise.

Open Claude (claude.ai) or ChatGPT (chatgpt.com) and use the base prompt below. The more context you give, the better the result.

Prompt for TikTok / Reels:

Write a script for a [30 / 60 / 90]-second TikTok / Reel about this topic: [describe your topic in one sentence].

My audience is [describe who you're talking to: e.g. "entrepreneurs who want to use AI in their business"].
My tone is [direct and practical / friendly and with some humor / educational but without jargon].

The script should have:
- A hook in the first 3 seconds (question, surprising fact, or counterintuitive statement)
- The main point explained simply, with a concrete example
- A close with call to action (save the video / follow me for more)

Write it in [Spanish / English]. Maximum [150 / 225] words. Don't include camera notes or editing instructions, only the text I'll say out loud.

Prompt for YouTube (long video):

Write a complete script for a YouTube video of approximately [8 / 10 / 12] minutes about this topic: [describe your topic].

My channel is for [describe your audience]. My style is [conversational and warm / educational and structured / storytelling with examples].

The script should include:
- A 30-second hook (what they'll learn and why it matters to them)
- Brief intro (max 1 minute) with my introduction if applicable
- [3 to 5] main points, each with an example or demonstration
- Natural transitions between sections
- Close with summary, call to action and teaser for the next video

Write it in [Spanish / English]. Approximately [1,500 / 1,800] words. Use conversational language as if I'm talking, not as if reading an article.

Review the result: if a paragraph sounds too formal or artificial, ask for a rewrite with your tone: “Rewrite paragraph 2 with a more everyday example and a more casual tone”.

The hook is the most important element of the script: if the first 3 seconds don’t hook the viewer, the algorithm doesn’t distribute the video and your audience leaves. It’s worth asking AI for several versions and choosing the best.

Prompt to generate 5 hook options:

I have this topic for a [TikTok / YouTube] video: [describe the topic in one sentence].

Give me 5 different hook options for the first 3 seconds. Use these formulas:
1. Question the viewer asks themselves
2. Surprising fact or statistic
3. Counterintuitive statement ("90% of people do this wrong...")
4. Concrete result promise ("In 5 minutes you'll know...")
5. Before-and-after story

Write them in [Spanish / English]. Maximum 2 sentences each.

Test the hooks with people from your audience before recording: the one that generates the most curiosity tends to perform best with the algorithm.

Hook types that work well per platform:

Hook type	TikTok / Reels	YouTube
Direct question	Very effective	Effective
Surprising fact	Very effective	Effective
Counterintuitive	Effective	Very effective
Result promise	Effective	Very effective
Personal story	Moderate	Very effective

To learn how to write better prompts for AI in any task, check out the tutorial How to Write Effective Prompts for AI.

Once you have the script for one platform, AI can adapt it to the others without starting from scratch. The same topic can live on YouTube, TikTok and Reels by adjusting the length, tone and hook.

Prompt to adapt a YouTube script to TikTok / Reels:

I have this [X]-minute YouTube script:

[Paste the script here]

Condense it into a 60-second TikTok / Reel script that:
- Takes the core idea and best example from the original script
- Has a hook in the first 3 seconds
- Is direct: no long intro, get to the point
- Ends with a short call to action (follow, save, visit the link)

Maximum 150 words. More dynamic tone than YouTube.

Prompt to adapt a TikTok script to YouTube:

Expand this TikTok / Reel script into an 8 to 10 minute YouTube video:

[Paste the script here]

Add:
- Additional context and examples for each point
- A 30 to 60-second intro with the hook and video promise
- Natural transitions between sections
- A closing with summary and call to action

Tone: conversational but with more depth than TikTok. Approximately 1,500 words.

If your next step is to turn that script into a video with AI, check out the tutorial How to Create Videos with AI to see the tools available in 2026.

The script AI generates is a first draft: solid, but generic. Before recording, make these revisions so it sounds like you:

1. Read the script out loud. Where you stumble or feel it’s not natural, rewrite it. Your ear catches what your eye misses.
2. Add a personal anecdote or example. Something only you could say: a real story, a client, a mistake you made. That detail turns a generic script into an authentic one.
3. Change words you don’t use. If AI used “implement” and you always say “use,” change it. Voice consistency matters.
4. Verify the data. If the script mentions statistics or prices, confirm they are correct before publishing. AI can make up numbers.
5. Adjust the final length. Read the script while timing yourself: if you run over, cut the least impactful examples; if you run short, ask AI to expand a specific point.

Once you have the revised script, you can use it directly as a teleprompter or as key notes to record without reading it literally.

Problem	Fix
The script sounds too formal or robotic	Add to the prompt: “Write it as if it were a conversation, not an article. Use contractions and short sentences”
AI cuts off before finishing the script	Free plans have a length limit. Ask it to continue: “Continue from where you left off” or use Claude Pro / ChatGPT Plus
The hook doesn’t hook, video doesn’t reach people	Generate 5 different hook options (see Step 3) and test with someone in your audience before recording
The script has incorrect or made-up data	Always verify data with a search before publishing; AI is good for structure but not for verifiable facts
The script is too long for my target time	Ask: “Cut this script to [X] words while keeping the hook and the strongest example”
The result sounds the same as all my other videos	Give AI one of your scripts you liked as an example and ask it to imitate that style