Hook rate calculator for Meta video ads
By Itai Raveh, Co-founder, Uplifted
Hook rate is the share of impressions in which a video ad was watched for at least three seconds: 3-second video plays divided by impressions. It shows whether the opening stops the scroll. Across 479 Meta video ads measured from June to August 2026, the median hook rate was 20.9%.
Calculate your hook rate and hold rate
In Meta Ads Manager, pick one ad and one date range, then copy three columns: Impressions, 3-second video plays and ThruPlays. The calculation runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Hook rate calculator
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Hook rate
3-second video plays ÷ impressions
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Hold rate, of impressions
ThruPlays ÷ impressions
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Hold rate, of people hooked
ThruPlays ÷ 3-second video plays
Enter impressions and 3-second video plays to see your hook rate.
The reading under the result compares your hook rate with the ad-level quartiles published by Biddyco (479 Meta video ads from 17 US ad accounts, June to August 2026). Other studies report higher typical figures; the table below shows all three.
What is the hook rate formula?
Hook rate is 3-second video plays divided by impressions, shown as a percentage. An ad with 48,000 impressions and 12,000 3-second video plays has a hook rate of 25.0%.
Meta counts a 3-second video play when a video plays for at least 3 seconds, or for nearly its total length if it is shorter than that, and it does not count replays within the same impression (Meta Business Help Center). Neither hook rate nor hold rate is a built-in column in Ads Manager, which is why you calculate them yourself.
What is hold rate?
Hold rate shows how many people kept watching after the opening. It is built on ThruPlays, which Meta counts when a video is played to completion or for at least 15 seconds. There are two ways to calculate it. They give very different numbers, so check which one a benchmark uses before you compare.
In the example above, 2,400 ThruPlays give a hold rate of 5.0% of impressions and 20.0% of the people who were hooked. Biddyco uses impressions for both rates and reports a median hold rate of 4.6%, with the middle half of ads between 3.0% and 7.3%. Measured the second way, its median was 22%.
What is a good hook rate?
A good hook rate is one above your own account's median. As outside reference points, three studies published in 2026 put the typical Meta hook rate between 20.9% and 30.5%, depending on what they count.
| Study | Sample | Period | What it reports | Typical hook rate | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biddyco | 479 video ads from 17 US ad accounts, $10.1M spend | June to August 2026 | Median across ads | 20.9% | Middle half 14.2% to 30.4%. Top tenth 44.8% or more. |
| Billo | 88,329 sales-objective video ads, 14 industries, $122 million spend | January to June 2026 | Average across ads | 25.44% | By month: 26.52% in March, 23.99% in June. |
| MHI Media | 60 direct-to-consumer brands | 8 January to 7 September 2026 | Median across brands | 30.5% | Middle half 23.2% to 35.4%. Top tenth over 40.8%. |
The three figures do not contradict each other. One is a median across individual ads, one is an average across ads, and one is a median across brands. Category moves the number as well: in MHI Media's data the median was 38.0% for beauty and skincare brands and 23.2% for fashion brands.
Does a higher hook rate mean a better ad?
Not on its own. In Biddyco's data, the quarter of ads with the highest hook rates had about 1.5 times the click-through rate of the lowest quarter, but also about 1.4 times the CPM, and no lower cost per purchase. Within each account, the five ads with the most spend had a median hook rate of 22.0%, against 20.7% for the rest.
Use hook rate to find where an ad loses people, not to pick a winner. A low hook rate points to the opening. A healthy hook rate with a low hold rate points to the middle of the ad. If both are healthy and the ad still does not sell, look at the offer and the landing page.
How do I add hook rate to Meta Ads Manager?
Create it once as a custom metric and it stays in your column set. These are the steps Biddyco documents:
- Open the column settings. In Ads Manager, open Columns and choose Customize columns.
- Create the metric. Select Create custom metric and name it Hook rate.
- Enter the formula. Build the formula 3-second video plays / Impressions, choose Percentage as the format, then create the metric.
- Add hold rate. Repeat with ThruPlays / Impressions and name it Hold rate.
- Save the view. Save your columns as a preset so both rates appear every time you open the table.
How do I see which hook an ad opened with?
A hook rate tells you that an opening worked. It does not tell you what the opening was. To learn from it, you need the number next to the first seconds of the creative, for every ad, so you can group ads by how they open and see which openings keep winning.
Uplifted creative analytics shows thumbstop rate for every ad alongside ROAS, CPA, CTR, CPM and watch time, across Facebook, Instagram and Google. You can sort by highest thumbstop rate, and every metric is tied to the creative that drove it, so you see which hook, format or scene is behind the numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What is a good hook rate for Meta ads?
A good hook rate is one above your own account's median. For outside reference, Biddyco's median across 479 Meta video ads was 20.9%, Billo's average across 88,329 ads was 25.44%, and MHI Media's median across 60 direct-to-consumer brands was 30.5%. A hook rate above 30.4% put an ad in Biddyco's top quarter.
Q. How do you calculate hook rate?
Divide 3-second video plays by impressions and multiply by 100. An ad with 48,000 impressions and 12,000 3-second video plays has a hook rate of 25.0%. Both inputs are standard columns in Meta Ads Manager. The rate itself is not, so you add it as a custom metric or use the calculator on this page.
Q. What is the difference between hook rate and hold rate?
Hook rate measures the opening: the share of impressions watched for at least three seconds. Hold rate measures what happens next: the share that reached a ThruPlay, which Meta counts when a video plays to completion or for at least 15 seconds. Hook rate judges the first seconds. Hold rate judges the rest of the ad.
Q. Is hook rate the same as thumbstop rate?
Yes, in common use. Biddyco's study defines hook rate as 3-second video plays divided by impressions and notes that it is also called thumbstop ratio. Tools label it differently; Uplifted calls it thumbstop rate. Before you compare numbers from two sources, check that both divide by impressions.
Q. Which ad has the best hook rate?
In Meta Ads Manager, add hook rate as a custom metric and sort the ads table by that column. Check impressions before trusting the leader, because a rate built on few impressions can change quickly. In Uplifted, sort ads by highest thumbstop rate to see the leading ads next to their creative.
Q. What are my top-performing hooks?
Sorting by hook rate gives you the top ads, not the top hooks. To find the hooks, watch the first three seconds of the leading ads and group them by how they open: a question, a problem, a result, a demonstration. The groups that keep appearing among your leaders are your top-performing hooks.
Q. Does a high hook rate lower cost per purchase?
Not reliably. In Biddyco's data, the quarter of ads with the highest hook rates had about 1.5 times the click-through rate of the lowest quarter, but about 1.4 times the CPM, and no lower cost per purchase. A strong hook earns attention. The rest of the ad and the offer still have to convert it.
Q. Why is my hook rate different from published benchmarks?
Benchmarks count different things. In the 2026 studies, the median across individual ads was 20.9% (Biddyco), while the median across brands was 30.5% (MHI Media). Category matters too: MHI Media reports 38.0% for beauty and skincare brands and 23.2% for fashion. Compare yourself with the study closest to your category and method.
Sources: Biddyco, Hook Rate on Meta: 20.9% Median, Formula and Hold Rate · Billo, Video Ad Hook Rate Benchmarks H1 2026 · MHI Media (Kamal Razzak), Meta Ads Funnel Benchmarks 2026 · Meta Business Help Center, About Video Ad Metrics on Facebook and Instagram. Figures are quoted as published; each study defines its sample differently, as described above.
See the hook behind every hook rate
Connect your Meta ad account and see thumbstop rate next to the creative that earned it.