Sandcastles
Research and scripting tool for short-form video that finds outlier videos and turns them into hooks and scripts.
Sandcastles is a research and scriptwriting tool for short-form video. Sandcastles tracks channels on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, highlights videos that outperformed, analyses their hooks and structure, and then generates hooks and scripts you can adapt. Sandcastles is sold as a subscription with a monthly credit allowance for analyses, scripts and reports.
Best for Creators, brands and agencies who base new short-form videos on what has already performed well in their niche.
- Listed in
- Social MediaStory & Creative Writing
- Platforms
- Web, MCP, API
- Pricing model
- Subscription
- API
- Yes
- Made by
- Sandcastles
- Added
Last verified: . Information taken from sandcastles.ai.
What is Sandcastles?
Sandcastles is a research and scriptwriting tool for people who make short-form video. It tracks channels on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts in a single feed and surfaces outliers, meaning videos that performed far above a channel's norm, from a database the company says holds millions of them. For any video you can download the transcript and read an analysis of its hook, storytelling, format and style that explains why it spread. From there the tool generates hook options based on templates and writes scripts using established storytelling frameworks, and projects keep the collected ideas organised. Paid plans add personal analytics for verified channels, content strategy audits, workspaces per niche, an MCP connector and, on the top tier, API access. Usage is metered in monthly credits spent on analysing videos, writing scripts and running reports.
Key Features
Channel Feed
Brings chosen YouTube, TikTok and Instagram channels into a single feed for side-by-side analysis.
Outlier Finder
Filters a large video database to show the clips that outperformed in a given niche.
Virality Analysis
Breaks down a video's hook, story structure, format and style to explain its reach.
Hook Generator
Produces dozens of opening lines from templates taken from high-view videos.
Script Writer
Drafts a short-form script from an idea using storytelling frameworks, with an option to lengthen it.
Transcripts and Projects
Downloads the transcript of any video and stores ideas in collections for later use.
How Sandcastles works
Customize your feed
Add successful channels from Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Find outlier videos
Browse the top performers in your niche.
Study why they spread
Read the analysis of each video's hook, story and format.
Write your script
Develop the idea into your own short-form script.
Use Cases
- Planning a Week of Shorts
- Pick several outliers in your niche and adapt each into your own script.
- Studying Competitors
- Track rival channels and see which of their videos broke out.
- Testing Hooks
- Generate multiple openings for one idea and choose the strongest before filming.
- Auditing Your Own Channel
- Verify a channel and review analytics and strategy audits on your content.
- Agency Client Work
- Keep a separate workspace per client and invite guests to view it.
Things to know
- Credits expire monthly
- Each plan has a monthly credit allowance and unused credits do not carry over.
- No refunds
- The FAQ says subscription payments are not refunded and subscriptions cannot be paused, only cancelled.
- API on the top tier only
- API access and guest access to workspaces are limited to the Titan plan.
- No two-factor authentication
- The site says 2FA is not supported yet; passkeys are offered as an additional sign-in safeguard.
FAQs
What is Sandcastles?
Sandcastles is a tool for researching short-form video and writing scripts, built around finding outlier videos and analysing why they worked.
What is Sandcastles used for?
Sandcastles is used to track channels, find high-performing videos in a niche, generate hooks and write scripts for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Who is Sandcastles for?
Sandcastles is aimed at creators and brands who want to grow on social media, whether they are starting out or already publishing at volume.
How much does Sandcastles cost?
Sandcastles sells three subscription plans named Pro, Visionary and Titan, with a lower rate for yearly billing; see the official site for current prices.
Does Sandcastles have an API?
Yes. API access is listed in the Titan plan, and an MCP connector is included from the Pro plan.
Do I need to connect my social accounts to Sandcastles?
No. Sandcastles says connecting accounts is optional, although doing so lets it tailor insights to your channels.
Do Sandcastles credits roll over?
No. Unused Sandcastles credits are lost when the monthly allowance renews, whether the plan is billed monthly or yearly.
Does Sandcastles offer refunds?
No. Sandcastles states that it does not refund subscription plans, though a plan can be cancelled at any time from Settings.
Who it's for
- Content creators
- Social media managers
- Brands
- Agencies
- Video scriptwriters
Used in these workflows
- Short-form video from idea to posted clip: which AI tool does which jobStage 1: Ideas and trend research
- Running a social media campaign: which AI tools fit which stage?Stage 1: Audience and trend research
- How to make a video ad with AI, one stage at a timeStage 2: Concept, hook and script
- Short-form video from idea to posted clip: which AI tool does which jobStage 2: Hooks and scripts
- The AI toolkit for running a YouTube channel, one upload at a timeStage 2: Writing the script
Each guide lists the stages of one job and the tools that help at each stage. All guides
Comments
No comments yet. If you have used Sandcastles, tell other readers how it went.
Alternatives to Sandcastles
| Tool | Free plan | Starting price | API |
|---|---|---|---|
 SubscribrYouTube production platform that generates video ideas, scripts, thumbnails and edited videos, and connects to AI agents. |
Yes | $99/mo | Yes |
 AutoCaptionAI caption generator that adds animated, styled subtitles to short videos and resizes them for each platform. |
Yes | — | Yes |
 AutoShorts.aiGenerates faceless short videos in a chosen niche and posts them to TikTok and YouTube on a schedule. |
— | — | — |
 Brainrot.movAI studio that turns a script or topic into a short vertical video with avatars, voices and captions. |
Yes | — | Yes |
 MaekersuiteVideo pre-production suite that researches topics and competitors, then helps write and optimise video scripts. |
— | — | — |
Listed in the same categories as Sandcastles. A starting price appears only where we checked it on the maker’s pricing page; a dash means not checked or not published. All Social Media tools