Inside the Heat Score: How HookFlow Measures AI Momentum
- •The formula behind every ranking — four weighted signals, six real-time data sources, and zero pay-to-play. Here's exactly how we score every AI tool on HookFlow.
- •Every AI tool on HookFlow.ai receives a Heat Score from 0–100. This isn't a "pay-to-play" rating — it's a data-driven snapshot of a tool's real momentum, pulled from 6 independent signals and updated twice daily.
- •We blend four component scores — each fed by one or more real-time data pipelines — so that no single platform can distort the picture.
- •What it measures: How much organic conversation a tool is generating across creator and developer communities.
- •Data sources:
- •- online communities — Mention count across 35+ AI-focused online communities (7-day window)
- •- YouTube — Number of videos mentioning the tool published in the last 7 days
- •Why it's the biggest weight: When builders voluntarily talk about a tool on online communities and creators make videos about it, that's the strongest signal that something is genuinely useful — not just well-marketed.
- •What it measures: Whether a tool is gaining traction among developers who actually ship code.
- •Data sources:
- •- GitHub — Star delta over the past 7 days (primary signal for open-source tools)
Every AI tool on HookFlow.ai receives a Heat Score from 0–100. This isn't a "pay-to-play" rating — it's a data-driven snapshot of a tool's real momentum, pulled from 6 independent signals and updated twice daily.
📊 The Formula: Four Weighted Signals, Six Data Sources
We blend four component scores — each fed by one or more real-time data pipelines — so that no single platform can distort the picture.
🗣️ Social Buzz (35%)
What it measures: How much organic conversation a tool is generating across creator and developer communities.
Data sources:
- online communities — Mention count across 35+ AI-focused online communities (7-day window)
- YouTube — Number of videos mentioning the tool published in the last 7 days
Why it's the biggest weight: When builders voluntarily talk about a tool on online communities and creators make videos about it, that's the strongest signal that something is genuinely useful — not just well-marketed.
🚀 Developer Momentum (25%)
What it measures: Whether a tool is gaining traction among developers who actually ship code.
Data sources:
- GitHub — Star delta over the past 7 days (primary signal for open-source tools)
- Google Trends — Search interest score (0–100) over the past 7 days
- Hacker News — Mention count and engagement (fallback when no GitHub repo exists)
Why it matters: Stars, search volume, and HN discussion together capture the full developer attention funnel — from curiosity to adoption.
💬 Community Engagement (25%)
What it measures: The quality of discussion, not just quantity. Are people deeply engaging with a tool, or just scrolling past it?
Data sources:
- online communities + Hacker News — Average (upvotes + comments) per mention, blended by volume
- Product Hunt — Total votes, recency-weighted (a launch last week matters more than one last year)
Why it matters: A tool with 5 mentions and 200 upvotes each is hotter than one with 50 mentions and 2 upvotes each. Engagement separates real excitement from noise.
⚡ Growth Momentum (15%)
What it measures: Acceleration. Is the tool gaining or losing steam week-over-week?
How it works:
- Compares combined online communities + HN mentions this week vs. last week
- A tool that doubles its mentions scores 100; flat activity scores 50; declining trends score lower
- Brand-new tools with no prior history get a first-appearance momentum bonus
Why it matters: A tool at 70 and climbing is more interesting than a tool at 85 and falling. Momentum catches breakouts early.
🌡️ Reading the Temperature
| Score | Level | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 🔴 90–100 | 🚀 Explosive | The tool is everywhere — peak viral momentum |
| 🟠 80–89 | 🔥 Strong | Serious traction with a clear upward trajectory |
| 🟡 70–79 | 📈 Established | A solid, proven tool with consistent activity |
| 🟢 60–69 | 🌱 Emerging | Finding its audience but hasn't "broken out" yet |
| ⚪ Below 60 | 💤 Niche | Early-stage or specialized — building a foundation |
🛠️ Why You Can Trust It
Six sources. Zero pay-to-play. One metric can be gamed, but six independent data streams — online communities, YouTube, GitHub, Google Trends, Hacker News, and Product Hunt — tell the truth when combined.
Our scraping pipeline runs twice daily (every 12 hours) to keep scores fresh. We never sell higher placements — if a tool is hot, it's because the data says so.