Help Center

Everything ShadowViral™ AI can do, documented step by step — from finding a faceless niche to shipping a validated export package.

Tip: press Ctrl / + K anywhere in the app.

What's new

last 30 days
  • Product tour: live scroll-stop scoring The /product page plays a looping Short next to the live read-out it produces — scroll-stop score, three-second hold, pacing, hook beats and copyright risk — so you can see what an analysis returns before running one.
  • Connect ChatGPT, Claude or another AI assistant Connect an AI assistant to ShadowViral so it can securely list saved analyses, retrieve scripts and save new scripts while you work.
  • Trials, subscriptions & plan management How the 7-day card-backed trial works, how to change or cancel a plan, and what happens when a payment fails.
  • Tracking published videos, views and estimated earnings Close the loop: after you publish a video made from a generated script, paste its link into My results to see how many of your scripts went live, the views they pulled and the estimated ad revenue for that niche.
  • Advanced 4-layer production timeline A synchronized production view: five psychological hook angles (Curiosity, Constraint, Stat, Contrarian, Loss Aversion), a 4-layer timeline grid — voiceover with ElevenLabs pause tags, generative visual prompts with --ar 9:16, on-screen text, and audio/SFX cues — plus automated affiliate-link injection.

Discovery & Research

Find the faceless niches and videos worth modelling.

5 articles

Scripts & Hooks

Analyze viral structure, swap hooks and keep timing in sync.

4 articles

Exporting & Audio

Ship validated scripts to your editing and voiceover pipeline.

2 articles

Account, Billing & Security

Trials, subscriptions, rate limits and audit logging.

7 articles

Discovery & Research

New
Updated in the last 30 days
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Product tour: live scroll-stop scoring

Discovery & Research · released 9/23/2026

The /product page plays a looping Short next to the live read-out it produces — scroll-stop score, three-second hold, pacing, hook beats and copyright risk — so you can see what an analysis returns before running one.

The score on the tour climbs as each hook beat lands — that is the same beat-by-beat model used on your own analyses.

  1. 1

    Open the product tour

    Visit /product. The demo Short starts muted and loops; click it to pause or resume playback.

  2. 2

    Read the live score

    The teal ring shows the scroll-stop score out of 10. It updates as playback reaches each hook beat, and the note beside it explains why that beat holds attention.

  3. 3

    Compare the supporting metrics

    Three-second hold, average shot length and copyright risk sit beneath the score — the same three metrics returned on a real analysis.

  4. 4

    Run it on your own video

    Use Analyze your own video to paste a TikTok, Reels or YouTube Shorts link. Free visitors get one preview analysis per day; deep analysis and scripts need Pro, Ultra or a trial.

Was this article helpful?

Core
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Viral video discovery & niche selection

Discovery & Research · released 7/1/2026

Browse high-monetization faceless niches, switch between TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube, and open the ten videos currently dominating each category.

The monetization score blends advertiser demand, sponsorship value and how well faceless formats perform — use it to break ties between two niches you like equally.

  1. 1

    Pick a niche

    On the home page each card shows a CPM range and a monetization score. Click a card to open its category page.

  2. 2

    Switch platform

    Use the platform switcher to compare TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and YouTube long-form. TikTok and Instagram trend leaderboards currently show Coming soon while those feeds are paused; direct URL analysis for both platforms remains available.

  3. 3

    Read the data provenance badge

    YouTube leaderboards use measured YouTube Data API results. Direct TikTok and Instagram URL analyses use public post data. Measured results carry a provenance badge; estimates are labelled clearly. TikTok and Instagram trend leaderboards are temporarily paused, so those tabs show Coming soon instead of stale rankings.

  4. 4

    Skim the editorial sections your way

    The niche write-ups (why videos spread, example concepts, RPM, production setup, copyright pitfalls, FAQs) are collapsible. Use Expand all / Collapse all above them — your choices are remembered on this device across visits — and the floating 'Current top 10 videos' pill jumps straight to the live ranking.

  5. 5

    Analyze a specific URL

    Already have a reference video? Paste its URL on the Analyze page to get the same breakdown plus a comparison report.

Was this article helpful?

New
TikTok

Faceless TikTok ideas guide

Discovery & Research · released 8/21/2026

Ten faceless TikTok formats by niche, how each earns through the TikTok Creativity Program, affiliate links and brand deals, plus the 9:16 export setup.

The Creativity Program rewards original videos over one minute — design your payoff to land between 60 and 90 seconds.

  1. 1

    Pick a high-intent niche

    Personal finance, AI tools, business side hustles and health/fitness convert best because the audience has buyer intent and the Creativity Program RPM reflects that.

  2. 2

    Choose a faceless format

    Screen recordings, data explainers, licensed stock with voiceover and motion text all work without on-camera presence.

  3. 3

    Export against the TikTok preset

    Use the TikTok preset for fast kinetic captions, 9:16 safe zones and an affiliate disclosure pinned to the top of the caption.

  4. 4

    Publish and monetise

    Distribute the same script to TikTok, Reels and Shorts. TikTok brings reach and Creativity Program revenue; Shorts adds a second per-view stream; Reels builds demand.

Was this article helpful?

New
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Free tools: teardowns, calculators & generators

Discovery & Research · released 8/17/2026

The public tools — hook teardown, YouTube earnings calculator, YouTube script generator, Reels script generator, TikTok script generator and copyright-safe script generator — and how they feed into a full analysis.

Tool output carries over: start with a free teardown, then open the same video in a full analysis to keep the context.

  1. 1

    Free video teardown

    Paste any public video link to see its opening hook broken down into attention mechanics — no account required.

  2. 2

    YouTube earnings calculator

    Estimate monthly revenue from views and niche RPM ranges before committing to a channel idea.

  3. 3

    Script generators

    Choose the YouTube, Instagram Reels or TikTok script generator, or use the copyright-safe generator for a draft with clearance notes and mitigations attached. Paid generation is requested when a tool reaches a protected production feature.

  4. 4

    Move to a full analysis

    Sign in and run a deep analysis to get retention structure, hook variations, exports and the compliance checklist.

Was this article helpful?

New
TikTok
YouTube

Trend digests & subscription preferences

Discovery & Research · released 8/18/2026

Subscribe to the weekly multi-platform trend digest and choose which niches and platforms it covers.

Narrow the digest to two or three niches — a focused list is far more actionable than every category at once.

  1. 1

    Subscribe

    Use the digest form on a trends page and confirm the address from the email we send.

  2. 2

    Choose niches and platforms

    Digest preferences let you pick TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube coverage independently, plus the niches you care about.

  3. 3

    What arrives

    Each issue lists rising videos, the hooks driving them and the niche-level signal behind the move.

  4. 4

    Pause or unsubscribe

    Every email carries a one-click unsubscribe, and preferences can be changed at any time from your account.

  5. 5

    How fresh the data is

    TikTok trend caches refresh daily; Instagram Reels refresh every 6 days. Only one refresh runs at a time, and if a provider rate-limits us the next run is pushed out with an increasing wait, so figures can lag briefly instead of breaking. While a refresh is paused, the previous measured snapshot stays visible as a recent snapshot instead of being purged, so category pages keep working during a platform outage. Note: TikTok and Instagram Reels trend surfaces are temporarily paused and marked "Coming soon" while the data pipeline is upgraded — YouTube Shorts and long-form trends are unaffected.

Was this article helpful?

Scripts & Hooks

Core
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Deep script analysis & hook engineering

Scripts & Hooks · released 7/1/2026

See exactly why a video went viral: the 0:00–0:05 opening hook, emotional triggers, retention curve, pacing, audio choice and algorithm fit.

The first five seconds carry most of the retention weight. If you change nothing else in a reengineered script, change the hook.

  1. 1

    Open a video breakdown

    From a category ranking, click any video to open its dedicated breakdown page.

  2. 2

    Review the viral mechanics

    Each breakdown separates hook, retention structure, pacing, audio and algorithm fit so you can copy the mechanics without copying the content.

  3. 3

    Check the copyright advisory

    Platform policy, music licensing and the origin country's rules are summarised before you produce anything. It is informational only, not legal advice.

  4. 4

    Generate an original script

    Click Generate script to produce a beat-by-beat voiceover with B-roll notes, captions, CTA, title and hashtags built for the same audience.

Was this article helpful?

Core
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Interactive script workspace & hook swapping

Scripts & Hooks · released 7/20/2026

Ultra generates five psychological hook angles — Curiosity, Constraint/FOMO, Shocking Stat, Contrarian and Loss Aversion — then lets you swap one into the script while downstream timestamps and captions re-sync automatically.

History is persisted per project, so you can close the tab and still undo a hook swap you made yesterday.

  1. 1

    Generate hook variations

    In the script toolbar, choose Hook variations. Ultra produces five angles from the same script premise; Pro includes the standard production script without this multi-angle generator.

  2. 2

    Swap a hook in

    Applying a variation replaces the opening beat and shifts every following beat by the duration difference, so captions and timestamps stay aligned.

  3. 3

    Undo / redo from the history panel

    Each swap is snapshotted to the database. Step back and forward through the full history at any time.

  4. 4

    Resync the timeline manually

    If you edit beat durations by hand, use Resync timeline to recompute all downstream start times before exporting.

Related error codes

ERR_MISSING_HOOK

Was this article helpful?

New
Updated in the last 30 days
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Advanced 4-layer production timeline

Scripts & Hooks · released 8/27/2026

A synchronized production view: five psychological hook angles (Curiosity, Constraint, Stat, Contrarian, Loss Aversion), a 4-layer timeline grid — voiceover with ElevenLabs pause tags, generative visual prompts with --ar 9:16, on-screen text, and audio/SFX cues — plus automated affiliate-link injection.

Hook selections persist while you work — swapping an angle re-times the timeline without re-rendering the rest of the page.

  1. 1

    Open the Advanced timeline

    Generate a script on a video breakdown page or a script-generator page, then switch on Advanced timeline beside the script title. Its helper text explains that the view synchronizes voiceover, visuals, captions and music/SFX tracks.

  2. 2

    Swap a hook angle

    The hook panel shows five angle cards with the spoken voiceover and visual prompt. Swap Into Script replaces the opening beat (0:00–0:05) and keeps the selection active.

  3. 3

    Review the 4-layer grid

    Each beat is a terminal-style card: a timestamp pill and SFX cue up top, editable voiceover with pause chips, a copyable visual prompt block, and the on-screen caption preview. Beats flagged as an affiliate bridge carry a teal border.

  4. 4

    Inject an affiliate partner

    In the export section below the script, pick a partner, paste your tracking link, and every {{AFFILIATE_LINK}} placeholder across the script, description and pinned comment is replaced. The FTC disclosure stays attached.

  5. 5

    Export the production package

    Use Download complete bundle for the full production ZIP, or choose an individual JSON, Hermes Markdown, ElevenLabs-ready text or synchronized SRT file. Every file uses the same timeline state, including hook swaps and injected links.

Was this article helpful?

Exporting & Audio

Core
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Multi-format export engine

Exporting & Audio · released 7/28/2026

Export validated JSON, Hermes Markdown, ElevenLabs-ready narration text with pacing tags, and synchronized .srt subtitles — individually or as one bulk .zip package.

Every download is validated on the server first. A failed validation tells you which field broke and where — nothing is written until it passes.

  1. 1

    Choose a platform preset

    Choose TikTok, Instagram Reels or YouTube. Each preset controls pacing, caption limits, subtitle timing, safe zones and disclosure placement for that platform.

  2. 2

    Preview and validate

    Open Export preview to run server-side schema validation. Downloads stay disabled until the payload passes.

  3. 3

    Pick a format

    JSON for pipelines, Hermes Markdown for editors, ElevenLabs text for voiceover, .srt for burned-in or uploaded captions.

    {
      "version": 1,
      "preset": "tiktok",
      "beats": [
        { "start": 0, "end": 4.5, "voiceover": "...", "broll": "..." }
      ]
    }
  4. 4

    Bulk export everything

    Asset package downloads one .zip containing every format for the active script plus each hook variation, ready to drop into your editing pipeline.

Related error codes

ERR_VALIDATION_FAILEDERR_MISSING_HOOKERR_BEAT_OVERFLOW

Was this article helpful?

New
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Affiliate link & FTC disclosure automation

Exporting & Audio · released 8/5/2026

Attach the highest-margin partner program for a niche, inject tracking URLs into the script, and let compliant FTC disclosures be written into the body and footer automatically.

Disclosure copy is inserted both as an early spoken line and in the description footer, which is what most platforms expect for paid endorsements.

  1. 1

    Review partners for the niche

    Category and video pages list matching programs ranked by payout size, recurrence and how well the audience converts.

  2. 2

    Select a partner for the script

    Choosing a partner in the script workspace weaves a product mention and an on-screen CTA into the relevant beat.

  3. 3

    Add your tracking URL

    Paste your own affiliate link. Tracking parameters are appended consistently across every export format.

    https://partner.example.com/offer?ref=YOURID&utm_source=shadowviral
  4. 4

    Verify the disclosure

    The generated disclosure appears in the script body and the export footer. Edit the wording if your jurisdiction requires different phrasing.

Was this article helpful?

Account, Billing & Security

New
Updated in the last 30 days
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Connect ChatGPT, Claude or another AI assistant

Account, Billing & Security · released 9/23/2026

Connect an AI assistant to ShadowViral so it can securely list saved analyses, retrieve scripts and save new scripts while you work.

Connecting is free; using the assistant tools requires Pro, Ultra or an active trial.

  1. 1

    Open Connect

    Choose Connect in the site navigation. Copy the ShadowViral app address or use the prefilled ChatGPT or Claude connection button.

  2. 2

    Authorize your ShadowViral account

    Complete the sign-in and consent flow in your assistant. The connection only works with the ShadowViral account you authorize.

  3. 3

    Use the available tools

    Your assistant can list saved analyses and scripts, retrieve a script and save a new script to My Viral Library. It cannot access another account's work.

  4. 4

    Reconnect after access changes

    If the assistant reports that a plan is required, start Pro, Ultra or a trial, then reconnect so the assistant receives the updated access.

Was this article helpful?

New
Updated in the last 30 days
TikTok
YouTube

Trials, subscriptions & plan management

Account, Billing & Security · released 9/23/2026

How the 7-day card-backed trial works, how to change or cancel a plan, and what happens when a payment fails.

Access is kept alive while a payment retry is in progress, so a temporary card decline never locks you out mid-project.

  1. 1

    Start the 7-day trial

    Card details are collected up front. The trial can be cancelled at any point before it converts, and one trial is allowed per person.

  2. 2

    Manage the plan

    The Billing page opens the secure billing portal where you can switch monthly/yearly, update the card, and download invoices.

  3. 3

    Cancel with the exit poll

    Cancellation asks a short optional question, then processes the termination in one atomic step. You can skip the poll.

  4. 4

    Resume after cancelling

    If you cancel but the period has not ended, a Resume subscription action restores the plan without a new checkout.

Was this article helpful?

Core
TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Access tiers, rate limits & account security

Account, Billing & Security · released 7/10/2026

What guests, free accounts and subscribers can each do, plus the anti-abuse and rate-limiting thresholds protecting AI generation.

After one successful verification, the check stays out of the way across the site for 30 minutes. It appears again after that proof expires.

  1. 1

    Guest access

    Anyone can browse niches, rankings and guides without an account.

  2. 2

    Registered free access

    A signed-in free account gets one public preview analysis per rolling 24 hours. Saving to My Viral Library, deep analysis and script generation require Pro, Ultra or an active trial.

  3. 3

    Trial and subscribed access

    Pro and Ultra unlock full analysis, script generation, standard exports and My Viral Library. Ultra additionally unlocks five-angle hook variations, bulk ZIP exports and priority processing.

  4. 4

    If you hit a limit

    AI endpoints are rate limited per account. Wait for the window to reset, or contact support if a limit looks wrong for your plan.

Related error codes

ERR_RATE_LIMITEDERR_NOT_ENTITLED

Was this article helpful?

New
TikTok
YouTube

Script generator limits & payload validation

Account, Billing & Security · released 8/20/2026

How the script generator throttles rapid or automated requests, applies a per-browser-session daily quota, and validates every request and AI response before showing you a script.

Limits are per account and per browser session, and they apply on top of your monthly plan allowance — they only kick in on unusually fast or automated bursts.

  1. 1

    Short-burst protection

    Up to 3 script generations may start in any 60-second window. A fourth is refused with the exact number of seconds to wait.

  2. 2

    Hourly safety ceiling

    An account can start at most 20 script generations per hour. This protects the shared AI budget from runaway scripts or shared credentials.

  3. 3

    Per-session daily quota

    Each browser session gets 40 generations per rolling 24 hours. Opening a new session resets that bucket, but the account-level limits still apply.

  4. 4

    Strict request validation

    Topic, platform, tone, viral angle and reference data are length-checked and unknown fields are rejected before anything is sent to the AI, so a malformed request never consumes your plan allowance.

  5. 5

    Safe handling of AI output

    The generated script is validated against a strict schema. Minor gaps are repaired automatically, and a structurally broken response is refused with a clear retry message instead of rendering a half-empty script.

  6. 6

    Short-term reuse of identical requests

    If you submit the exact same topic, platform, tone, angle and reference notes again within 15 minutes, the previously validated script is returned instantly instead of being regenerated. Change any field — or wait for the window to pass — to get a fresh variation.

Related error codes

ERR_RATE_LIMITEDERR_INVALID_PAYLOAD

Was this article helpful?

New
TikTok
YouTube

Free, Pro and Ultra plans & the Ultra fair-use cap

Account, Billing & Security · released 8/19/2026

What each of the three plans includes, how monthly run limits are counted, and how the Ultra 1,500/month fair-use cap and daily throttle work.

Yearly billing costs ten months instead of twelve, and the skip-trial option takes a further 20% off your first term.

  1. 1

    Compare the plans

    Free browses niches and a small number of public previews. Pro ($39/mo or $390/yr) unlocks 30 deep analyses or script generations per cycle. Ultra ($69/mo or $690/yr) is unlimited under fair use and adds Ultra-only tools such as the multi-angle hook generator and bulk .zip export.

  2. 2

    Track your usage

    The usage meter shows runs used, runs remaining and the exact date your billing cycle resets. Deep analyses and script generations each count as one run.

  3. 3

    Ultra fair use

    Ultra is unlimited up to 1,500 analyses or scripts per month. Reaching the cap notifies support automatically and you can email support@shadowviral.com to raise it.

  4. 4

    If the throttle kicks in

    More than 100 runs beyond the cap limits the account to one generation per day until the next cycle. The lockout banner shows the exact next allowed time in UTC.

Related error codes

ERR_NOT_ENTITLEDERR_RATE_LIMITED

Was this article helpful?

New
TikTok
YouTube

Saving scripts to your library & the 15-day retention policy

Account, Billing & Security · released 8/24/2026

Trial and paid users can save any generated script to their library straight from the analyze page. When a trial ends without activating, or a canceled subscription runs out, saved work is kept for 15 days — with an email reminder 5 days before deletion.

Reactivating any paid plan before the 15-day grace period ends cancels the deletion — every saved script and analysis stays untouched.

  1. 1

    Save from the analyze page

    After a script is generated on the Analyze page, click 'Save to library' in the script header. The full script — hook, hook variations, timestamped beats, CTA and publish metadata — is stored under My library. Available on trial and paid plans.

  2. 2

    Find saved work

    Open My library to review, copy, download or delete saved scripts and analyses at any time while your plan is active. Scripts download in the same formats as the analyze page — JSON, Hermes Markdown, ElevenLabs text and SRT captions. A banner at the top of the page shows your retention status whenever a grace period is running.

  3. 3

    Bulk download with a CSV manifest, and undo a bulk delete

    Tick the checkboxes in My library to select several scripts or analyses. 'Download selected' builds one ZIP containing every export format plus a manifest.csv listing each item's title, niche, platform, creation date and original source video. 'Delete selected' shows an Undo action for 30 seconds — click it and the deleted scripts and analyses are restored to your library.

  4. 4

    When paid access ends

    If your trial ends without activating a subscription, or a canceled subscription reaches its end date, your library enters a 15-day grace period. Nothing is deleted immediately.

  5. 5

    Five-day warning email

    Five days before deletion we email you a reminder listing how many scripts and analyses you have saved, with a button to activate or renew your subscription. Reactivating cancels the deletion right away.

  6. 6

    Deletion is permanent

    On day 15 the saved scripts and analyses are permanently removed from your account. Files you already exported to your device (JSON, Markdown, ElevenLabs, SRT) are not affected.

Was this article helpful?

New
Updated in the last 30 days
TikTok
YouTube

Tracking published videos, views and estimated earnings

Account, Billing & Security · released 9/14/2026

Close the loop: after you publish a video made from a generated script, paste its link into My results to see how many of your scripts went live, the views they pulled and the estimated ad revenue for that niche.

Update the view count every week or two — the earnings range recalculates from the niche RPM, platform and audience mix each time you save.

  1. 1

    Publish from a saved script

    Generate a script, export the production bundle and publish the finished video on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram as usual. Nothing needs to be connected to any platform account.

  2. 2

    Add the video to My results

    Open My results from your account or library, pick the saved script it came from, paste the published video link, choose the platform and audience mix, and enter the view count from your own analytics.

  3. 3

    Read the numbers

    The dashboard shows how many scripts you have published and what share of your saved scripts that is, total views, an estimated earnings range and the average per video. Each video can be opened or removed from the list.

  4. 4

    Refresh YouTube views automatically

    Tracked YouTube links do not need manual updating: press Refresh YouTube views (or the refresh icon on a single video) and the real view count is read straight from YouTube, then the earnings range is recalculated from that measured number. Videos read this way are labelled Live YouTube views. TikTok and Instagram have no public view data, so those stay typed in.

  5. 5

    How earnings are estimated

    Estimates use the published RPM range for the video's niche, a platform multiplier (Shorts and TikTok pay a fraction of long-form), an audience-country multiplier, and an assumption that about 70% of views serve ads. They are planning ranges, not payout statements.

  6. 6

    Connect your YouTube channel for real revenue

    In the YouTube revenue section at the bottom of My results, press Connect YouTube channel and sign in with the Google account that owns the channel. Access is read-only: nothing is posted or changed. Once connected, Refresh pulls the real views, watch hours, new subscribers and estimated revenue YouTube reports for the last 90 days, day by day, plus your actual RPM. Revenue figures require a monetised channel; without monetisation you still get real views and watch hours. Disconnect removes the connection and every figure pulled with it.

Was this article helpful?

Protected content · session trace SSR-SSR ·