Katherine Shaoul

Video View Through Rate is the ratio of video views to video impressions, expressed as a percentage. It measures how often people choose to watch a video after seeing it. Because the definition of a "video view" varies by platform, VTR baselines and benchmarks should always be compared within a single platform, not across platforms.

A Video Completion refers to the number of times a video plays to the end.

Video Views is a count of the number of times a video is watched or started. Because each platform defines a "view" differently, raw counts are only meaningful in context.

Video Starts is the count of how many times a video begins playing, recorded the moment playback initiates. It measures reach and initial audience interest, and is used as a base figure in rate metrics such as Average View Rate and Average View Time.

Video Watch Time is the total time viewers have spent watching a video or a collection of videos, measured in seconds, minutes, or hours. This metric helps you understand whether your content is holding attention or losing viewers early. High watch time signals that people find the content valuable enough to keep watching, and platforms like YouTube use it as a core ranking signal that directly affects content distribution.