Hook rate is the share of a video ad's impressions in which the video was watched for at least 3 seconds. It measures how well the opening of the ad stops the scroll, and it is a common first check on a new video creative.
How to calculate hook rate
Hook rate = 3-second video plays ÷ impressions
Hook rate is not a metric Meta reports. It is an industry convention that advertisers build from two of Meta's metrics. Meta defines 3-second video plays as "the number of times your video played for at least 3 seconds, or for nearly its total length if it's shorter than 3 seconds", and impressions are the number of times your ads were on screen. Divide one by the other and write it as a percentage.
A candle brand's video ad gets 48,000 impressions and 14,400 3-second plays. Its hook rate is 14,400 ÷ 48,000 = 0.30, or 30%. Three in ten impressions held someone for the opening seconds.
Some teams divide by reach or by video plays instead. Pick one version, write it down and use it for every ad, or your numbers won't compare.
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Try for Free ($0 Trial)Hook rate, hold rate and click-through rate
| Measure | What it checks | Common formula |
|---|---|---|
| Hook rate | Did the opening stop the scroll? | 3-second plays ÷ impressions |
| Hold rate | Did people stay after the opening? | ThruPlays ÷ 3-second plays |
| Click-through rate | Did people act on the ad? | Clicks ÷ impressions |
Hold rate is also an industry convention, not a Meta metric. It leans on ThruPlay, which in Meta's description of ThruPlay means someone watches at least 6 seconds of your video, or at least 15 seconds with the 15s goal, or to 97% completion if the video is shorter. Because ThruPlay depends on the goal you pick, state which one you used. The money side of video attention is cost per view, where Meta's closest metric is cost per ThruPlay.
Where to find the numbers in Ads Manager
You need two columns: impressions and 3-second video plays. Add them to your view for video ads, then compute the ratio in a spreadsheet or a custom metric. Meta shows the count of plays, not the rate, so the division is yours to do.
What moves hook rate
- The first frame. A clear subject, a face or a result on screen at second zero gives people a reason to pause.
- The first line. A spoken or written hook that names a problem or a surprise does the work the thumbnail cannot.
- Pace. A cut or movement in the first seconds keeps the eye on the ad.
- Sound-off clarity. Captions or on-screen text let people follow without sound.
- The audience. The same video hooks a warm audience better than a cold one, so compare ads shown to the same kind of people.
How to use it
- Test several openings on one video body. Keep everything after the first 3 seconds the same, so a change in hook rate comes from the opening alone.
- Run each version long enough to collect thousands of impressions before you judge it.
- Read hook rate next to click-through rate and cost per result. A high hook rate with few clicks means the opening grabs people but the rest of the ad does not persuade them.
- Keep the winning opening and write new ones against it, as part of regular creative testing.
A high hook rate alone proves little. People can watch 3 seconds of an ad they will never buy from, so treat it as a tool for diagnosing the opening, not as a goal.
Example. A language-learning app tests three openings for the same 30-second video. Each gets about 20,000 impressions. Version A opens on a logo and gets 3,000 3-second plays (15%). Version B opens on a learner speaking Spanish at a cafe and gets 5,800 (29%). Version C opens on a question in text and gets 4,600 (23%). The team keeps B's opening, since the rest of the video is identical, and tests two new openings against it.
In Madgicx. Creative Insights breaks down every creative, including video, to show what makes winning ads win. The AI Ad Generator creates new image ads from a prompt, an image or any ad in the Meta Ad Library, so you can feed fresh ideas into the next round of tests.
FAQ
What is hook rate in Facebook ads?
It is the percentage of impressions on a video ad in which the video played for at least 3 seconds. It shows how well the opening holds attention, and advertisers calculate it themselves from Meta's data.
How do you calculate hook rate?
Divide 3-second video plays by impressions and multiply by 100. For 14,400 plays on 48,000 impressions, the hook rate is 30%.
What is a good hook rate?
There is no official benchmark, because the metric is not defined by Meta and varies by audience, placement and video length. Compare your own ads against each other, and treat a new opening that beats your usual rate as a win.
Is hook rate the same as hold rate?
No. Hook rate checks the opening, the first 3 seconds. Hold rate checks whether people keep watching after it, and is usually calculated as ThruPlays divided by 3-second plays.
Does hook rate apply to image ads?
No. It needs video plays, so it applies only to video ads, including video in Reels and Stories.
Related
- Related terms: Hook, Cost per view (CPV), Impressions, Creative analytics
- In depth: Facebook video ad examples
Sources
- 3-Second Video Plays, Meta Business Help Center
- About ThruPlay, Meta Business Help Center
