How to Create Video Building Blocks and Hooks in Canva
Learn how to accelerate your content creation using Canva's pre-made mobile video building blocks and viral hook templates.
By Anacani Walters
Canva offers pre-designed video formats—like video building blocks and viral hooks—that make assembling engaging mobile content incredibly fast. Since the text pacing and animations are already done for you, you only need to swap in your own footage and brand colors.
Customizing Video Building Blocks
Video building blocks are structured template pages that handle the flow of your video, perfect for sharing advice, tips, or stories.
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From the Canva templates dashboard, click Mobile Video.
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Browse and select a template that features text building blocks.
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Click Customize this template to open the editor.
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In the left sidebar, click Uploads to find your media.
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Select the Videos tab.
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Click the video you want to add to your canvas.
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To mute your clip, click the Volume icon in the top toolbar.
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Slide the volume down to zero.
Applying Your Brand Colors
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Click on any text element on the canvas.
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Click the Text color icon in the top toolbar.
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If you have brand kits set up, select your kit (e.g., EmpowerHER Wave) and click Select Brand Kit.
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Choose your desired brand color from the sidebar.
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Click Change all at the bottom of the sidebar to apply this color across all matching text in the design.
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To modify text highlights, click Effects in the top toolbar.
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Click the color swatch under the effect settings to pick a new highlight color.
Many building block templates include a final "Canva Tip" slide with instructions. Be sure to delete it before exporting!
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Right-click the instructional tip page in the timeline and click Delete page.
Customizing Video Hooks
Canva also offers templates optimized specifically for "viral hooks"—quick, attention-grabbing intros designed to stop the scroll.
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From the Mobile Video templates, find and click on a hook template you like.
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Click Customize this template.
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Navigate to your uploaded videos and drag your footage onto the canvas to replace the template's background video.
Hook templates often place a small floating text box on the canvas instructing you to "Replace the video." You must manually delete this box.
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Click the instructional text element on the canvas.
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Click the Delete (trash can) icon in the floating toolbar.
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Double-click the main hook text box to edit it.
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Type in your new hook (e.g., "MY WORK").
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Update any secondary text elements (e.g., "Desk These Days") to match your content.
Once you are happy with the pacing and your new text, your mobile video is ready to export and post.