Hook Rate Calculator
Hook rate tells you how many people stop scrolling for your video ad; hold rate tells you how many keep watching. Paste the numbers from Ads Manager for up to five ads, and the calculator ranks them and reads each result against 2026 published figures.
Updated
Copy the columns from Ads Manager: impressions, 3-second video plays and ThruPlays. Hold views are optional.
| Ad | Impressions | 3-second video plays | ThruPlays |
|---|---|---|---|
Best hook: Ad A
25.8%
- 1. Ad A: hook rate 25.8%, hold rate 20.0%Hook: In the range of published averages (about 23% to 30%; 25.44% across 88,329 Meta sales ads).Hold: Within the published feed range (12% to 25%, median about 18%).
- 2. Ad B: hook rate 16.8%, hold rate 24.8%Hook: Below the 18% low end of published feed figures: the first seconds lose most viewers, so test a new opening.Hold: Within the published feed range (12% to 25%, median about 18%).
What the number means
Hook rate, or thumbstop rate, is the share of impressions that turn into a video view of at least 3 seconds on Meta: 3-second video plays ÷ impressions × 100. Hold rate is the share of those viewers who keep watching: ThruPlays ÷ 3-second video plays × 100.
For reference, Billo measured an average hook rate of 25.44% across 88,329 Meta sales video ads in the first half of 2026, and Jetfuel quotes a feed median of about 23% and a Reels median of about 30%.
Average hook rate by industry (Meta, first half of 2026)
| Criteria | Average hook rate |
|---|---|
| Animals & pet supplies | 21.32% |
| Apparel & accessories | 22.94% |
| Arts & entertainment | 23.02% |
| Baby & toddler | 22.56% |
| Business & industrial | 28.74% |
| Electronics | 22.21% |
| Food & beverages | 26.14% |
| Health & beauty | 28.11% |
| Home & garden | 25.06% |
| Services | 23.86% |
| Software | 22.90% |
| Sporting goods | 26.89% |
| Toys & games | 28.79% |
| Other | 23.59% |
What is hook rate?
Hook rate measures the first seconds of a video ad: of everyone who was shown the ad, how many watched long enough to count as a video play. On Meta that is a 3-second video play, so hook rate = 3-second video plays ÷ impressions. It is also called thumbstop rate, because it counts the people whose thumb stopped scrolling.
It says nothing about whether people buy. It isolates one job of the ad, the opening, so you can test openings against each other before you judge the rest.
What is hold rate?
Hold rate measures what happens after the hook: of the people who watched 3 seconds, how many kept watching. On Meta, use ThruPlays, which count 15 seconds of play, or the whole video when it is shorter: hold rate = ThruPlays ÷ 3-second video plays. The formula reads best for videos of 15 seconds or more; for shorter videos a ThruPlay is a completion, so the result can even pass 100%.
A strong hook with a weak hold means the opening promises something the video does not deliver quickly enough. Tighten the middle and show the product sooner.
Where to find the numbers in Ads Manager
In Meta Ads Manager, add the columns Impressions, 3-second video plays and ThruPlays to your report, at the ad level, for the same date range. In TikTok Ads Manager, use Impressions, 2-second video views and 6-second video views.
TikTok's 2-second views count earlier than Meta's 3-second plays, so TikTok hook rates are not comparable with Meta's published figures: compare TikTok ads with each other.
What is a good hook rate?
Published figures differ. Billo's analysis of 88,329 Meta sales video ads found an average of 25.44% in the first half of 2026, from 21.32% for pet supplies to 28.79% for toys and games. Jetfuel, quoting AdSights, gives a feed median of about 23% and a Reels median of about 30%, and says its figures are rough guides.
Your own account is the better benchmark: compare each new ad with the hook rate of your current best ad on the same placement and objective.
How to fix a weak hook
Change the first second, not the whole ad. Open on the problem, the result or a surprising detail; put the product or the person in frame immediately; add an on-screen line for people watching with the sound off. Then test two or three openings with the same body and keep the one with the best hook rate.
If you need new openings to test, the free TikTok ad script generator writes hook-led scripts, and Upadz turns a product page into several video ads with different hooks.
Hook rate and hold rate, worked out
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate hook rate?
Divide 3-second video plays by impressions and multiply by 100. An ad with 12,000 impressions and 3,100 three-second plays has a hook rate of 25.8%.
What is a good hook rate for Facebook ads?
Published averages are about 23% to 30%: Billo measured 25.44% across 88,329 Meta sales ads in the first half of 2026. Compare with your own best ad on the same placement.
What is thumbstop rate?
Another name for hook rate: the share of impressions that become a 3-second video play on Meta, because it counts the people who stopped scrolling.
What is the difference between hook rate and hold rate?
Hook rate measures the opening (3-second plays ÷ impressions); hold rate measures whether people keep watching after it (ThruPlays ÷ 3-second plays).
Does hook rate work for TikTok ads?
Yes, with TikTok's own columns: 2-second video views ÷ impressions. Because TikTok counts at 2 seconds, compare TikTok ads with each other rather than with Meta's figures.
Facts checked on against Billo, Video Ad Hook Rate Benchmarks H1 2026, via Sovran (88,329 Meta video ads), Jetfuel, Creative performance metrics for DTC video ads (2026-08-20). Prices and features change; tell us if something is out of date.
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