Video completion rate (VCR) is the percentage of video ad views that are watched to completion, measuring how well the full creative holds viewer attention.
Video completion rate measures the share of video ad plays watched to 100% (or a defined threshold like 75%). It's the full-funnel attention metric for video creative, where thumb stop rate and hook rate measure early retention, VCR measures whether the entire message was received.
VCR is highly sensitive to video length. A 6-second bumper ad will naturally achieve much higher VCR than a 30-second narrative ad. Cross-format comparisons require length normalization. Most platforms also report intermediate completion rates at 25%, 50%, and 75% of video duration, which help pinpoint where viewers drop off in longer formats.
On TikTok, VCR (reported as 'watched full video') carries particular weight because the algorithm uses completion signals to determine content quality and distribution. Higher VCR videos get broader organic-style amplification even in paid campaigns.
High VCR means your message was fully delivered, your product benefit, offer, and CTA all landed. Low VCR on a conversion-focused ad often means the CTA is never seen, which mechanically suppresses conversion rate regardless of creative quality at the top of the funnel. VCR also signals to platform algorithms that your content is high quality, which can lower your effective CPM over time.
Example
“A 15-second mobile game ad achieves 62% VCR on TikTok, meaning over half the viewers watch the full gameplay reveal and CTA, strong enough to push the algorithm toward broader distribution.”
Segwise Feature
Track VCR across ad networks
Thumb stop rate measures the percentage of people who pause their scroll to watch your video ad, indicating how compelling your hook is.
Learn moreCreative PerformanceHook rate measures what percentage of viewers who started watching a video continued past the 3-second mark, assessing how well your opening retains initial attention.
Learn moreCreative PerformanceClick-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of ad impressions that result in a click, measuring how effectively your creative drives intent to act.
Learn moreCreative PerformanceCreative fatigue occurs when an ad audience has seen the same creative too many times, causing performance metrics like CTR and ROAS to decline.
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