Instagram Caption Writer
Write a caption that earns the tap and the save. Instagram hides everything after ~125 characters behind "more", so the hook does the entire job in the first line. This skill front-loads that hook, keeps the body skimmable, and lands one clear call to action.
When to use
- User says "write me an Instagram caption about X"
- User has a single image or a Reel and needs the caption around it
- User wants a sharper hook for a draft they already have
- User wants a caption that auto-publishes with their media on approval
Formulas this skill uses (caption-first shapes)
| Code | Formula | Primary goal | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| IG1 | Number-First Result | saves | one odd-precision result + a "steal this" promise |
| IG2 | Contrarian Truth | shares | a sharp, defensible against-the-grain claim |
| IG3 | Relatable Cold-Open | comments | a specific shared moment, no setup |
| IG4 | Mini-Story Confession | comments, follows | a real first-person story with a cost |
Full skeletons in ../../references/hook-formulas.md. For carousels (IG5-IG8) use
ig-carousel-planner; for Reels (IG9-IG10) the hook lives in the video, and this
skill writes the supporting caption.
Pick by goal first
| Goal | Reach for |
|---|---|
| Saves | IG1 |
| Shares | IG2 |
| Comments | IG3, IG4 |
| Follows | IG4 |
Steps
Voice profile first (all drafts). If ../../references/voice-profile.md has filled: yes, load it and match the user's voice fingerprint, hard rules, and CTA/link style throughout. If it is not filled, mention once that ig-humanizer --mode profile can learn their voice from a few posts, then proceed with the generic voice rules.
Never invent the specifics. The rules below ask for a concrete number, a date and a named entity, because that is what separates a real post from a generated one. Take them from what the user actually said in this conversation. Do not invent a figure, a date, a client name or a result, and do not soften a vague claim into a plausible-looking number. If the user has nothing concrete for a beat, ask them once, and if they still have nothing, drop the claim rather than decorate it. A published invented number is a retraction; a missing one is only a weaker post.
- Gather inputs. Topic, angle, the media (single image or Reel), target audience, and the goal (saves / shares / comments / follows).
- Pick the formula. Use the goal table to shortlist, then suggest 2-3 that also fit the topic and let the user choose.
- Write the hook (first 125 chars). It must land the payoff, tension, or number before the "more" fold and make sense on its own.
- Write the body. Short lines, white space between beats, one idea. Teach or tell the story that the hook promised. Keep it under 2,200 chars.
- Write one CTA. A specific save or send prompt ("save this for your next launch", "send to the friend who keeps doing #2"), a real question, or a single next step. Never "what do you think?".
- Add hashtags. Hand off the topic to
ig-hashtag-strategistor apply the 3-5 sized set yourself (see../../references/hashtag-strategy.md). Put them at the end or note they go in the first comment. - Humanizer pass. Scrub 2026 AI vocab by paragraph density, cap em
dashes (about one per 100 words; a caption's single dash is not a tell,
never swap one for a period), break stacked triads, generic openers and
reveal bridges. Fix only a paragraph that reads machine-flat; never
manufacture variance or one-word lines for drama. Add an odd-precision
number with a named referent or a named entity where the claim allows.
Canonical rules:
ig-humanizerV3. - Optional audit. Invoke
ig-humanizer --mode auditfor a pass-fail check. - Approval card. Show: formula used, the hook (flag if over 125 chars), full caption, char count, hashtag set, primary goal, and the media the user must supply.
- On approval, publish with media. Call
lib.publish(kind="post", draft_text=<approved caption>, target_url="https://www.instagram.com/", media=[<local file paths>], platforms=[<INSTAGRAM_PLATFORM_ID>], scheduled_time=<iso_or_None>). For a Reel passkind="reel". The wrapper runs the Publora draft then upload then schedule flow. With no media or no Publora key it returns a copy-paste block and a reminder to attach the media.
Hard rules
Global voice rules: see root SKILL.md Voice rules. Additional skill-specific
rules:
- The first 125 characters must stop the scroll on their own. Rewrite any hook that needs the second line to make sense.
- One idea per caption. Two ideas means two posts.
- One specific number where the claim allows it.
- 3-5 sized hashtags, never 30. 0-3 emoji, placed with intent.
- Media is required. Never present a caption as publishable without reminding the user to attach the image or video.
- Do not hard-sell. One natural mention of the next step, max.
Anti-patterns (skill will refuse)
- A hook that only makes sense after the fold.
- Em dashes above the cap (more than about one per 100 words), or an em dash swapped for a period.
- "Let's talk about.." or "Here's the thing.." openers; "The result?" as a reveal.
- Announced candor ("real talk", "not gonna lie", "POV:" on something that is not a POV) with no dated fact behind it.
- Staccato stacks ("No X. No Y. Just Z.") and one-word lines added for drama.
- 20-30 hashtags stuffed at the top.
- Engagement bait ("double tap if you agree", "comment YES").
- Rule-of-three lists without specifics.
- "leverage", "fundamentally", "game-changer", "level up", "dive in".
- Padding a one-line idea to look substantial.
Resources
../../references/hook-formulas.md- all 10 Instagram formulas (IG1-IG4 are caption-first)../../references/algorithm-heuristics.md- 2026 Instagram ranking rules../../references/hashtag-strategy.md- the 3-5 sized hashtag recipe../../references/media-workflow.md- the draft, upload, schedule flowreferences/caption-checklist.md- the per-caption scrub and fit list
Related skills
ig-carousel-planner- when the idea is a slide-by-slide carouselig-hashtag-strategist- build the sized hashtag setig-humanizer- AI-tell scrubber, plus--mode auditfor reviewig-hook-extractor- reverse-engineer a hook from a post you admire
