Creative
Hook rate and hold rate
Two numbers tell you whether a video ad failed in the first three seconds or somewhere after. Here is how to work them out and what to do with them.
When a video ad underperforms, the result alone does not tell you why. Hook rate and hold rate split the problem in two. One measures the opening. The other measures everything after it.
The formulas
A ThruPlay is counted when a video plays to the end, or for at least 15 seconds if it is longer than that. You may also hear hook rate called thumbstop rate.
Neither is a metric Meta reports for you. They are conventions advertisers build from Meta's own columns, which means definitions vary. Some teams work out hold rate from 15-second plays, and some divide by impressions. Pick one definition, write it down, and use it every time, or your numbers will not be comparable from month to month.
Try it with your own numbers
Hook and hold calculator
The starting figures are an example. Replace them with the three columns from one ad in Ads Manager.
Add them to Ads Manager
- Open the Columns menu and choose Customize columns.
- Choose Create custom metric.
- Name it Hook rate, enter 3-second video plays ÷ impressions, and set the format to percentage.
- Repeat for Hold rate with ThruPlays ÷ 3-second video plays.
- Save the column set so everyone on the account sees the same view.
How to read the two together
| What you see | What it usually means | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Low hook rate | The opening is not stopping the scroll. | The first frame and first line. Lead with the result, the problem or a face, not a logo. |
| Good hook, low hold | The opening promised something the rest did not deliver. | The middle. Cut the wind-up, get to the point sooner, add captions. |
| Good hook and hold, few clicks | People watched but were not asked, or not convinced, to act. | The offer and the call to action. |
| Clicks but no conversions | The ad is doing its job. The page is not. | The landing page, form or donation flow. |
What is a good number?
Published benchmarks for Meta commonly put an average hook rate somewhere around 25 to 30 percent, but they move with format, placement, audience and video length. Hold rate depends heavily on length, because a 12-second video reaches a ThruPlay far more easily than a 60-second one.
The comparison that matters is inside your own account. Sort your ads by hook rate, look at what the top three openings have in common, and make more of those. Judge a creative on a few thousand impressions at least, never on a few hundred.
Keep it in proportion. These are diagnostic numbers. An ad with an ordinary hook rate that brings in donations or booked jobs at a good cost is a good ad. Use hook and hold to explain a result, not to replace it.
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