# Hook rate: definition and how to calculate it > Hook rate is the share of ad impressions that keep watching past the opening seconds. The formula, a worked example and how to improve it. Source: https://singingads.com/glossary/hook-rate # What is hook rate in video ads? Hook rate is the share of video ad impressions in which people keep watching past the opening seconds, usually calculated as 3-second video plays divided by impressions. It tells you whether the start of your ad, the first frame and the first line, earns attention before the viewer swipes. Updated 17 Oct 2026 ## How it is measured Hook rate is not a platform term; marketers calculate it from a platform metric. On Meta, the usual input is 3-second video plays, which Meta defines as the number of times your video played for at least 3 seconds (or nearly its full length if it is shorter), with replays excluded. The formula: - **Hook rate = 3-second video plays / impressions x 100.** TikTok reports 2-second video views (plays of at least 2 seconds in an impression session, replays excluded) and 6-second video views. Because the thresholds differ, a TikTok hook rate and a Meta hook rate are not the same number. Compare an ad with other ads on the same platform, never across platforms. ## Why it matters for a singing ad In a jingle ad, the hook is the opening sung line plus the picture under it. If people leave before the second line, they never hear the name. SingingAds writes three opening lines for every brief so you can pick one; a cheap test is to make two versions that differ only in that first line and run them side by side for a few days. ## An illustrative example Illustrative numbers for a made-up plant shop, Fernwick and Moss: version A opens on "Your fern looks crispy again" and gets 5,400 three-second plays from 20,000 impressions, a hook rate of 27%. Version B opens on the shop name and gets 3,100 from 20,000, or 15.5%. Same song after the first line, same offer. The shop keeps A and writes its next test against it. ## Common mistakes - Chasing a benchmark from a blog. There is no universal good hook rate; it depends on product, audience and placement. Your own past ads are the baseline. - Changing the hook and the offer in the same test, so you cannot tell which one moved the result. - Stopping at hook rate. An ad that hooks well but never gets clicks is entertaining, not profitable. - Opening on a slow fade or a logo card, which spends the most valuable seconds on nothing. ## Related terms [Thumb-stop ratio](https://singingads.com/glossary/thumb-stop-ratio) is often the same calculation under another name. A falling hook rate on an old ad can be an early sign of creative fatigue. For opening lines that work, read ad hooks for the first 3 seconds, see the jingle lyrics writer for the three opening lines it drafts, and [how SingingAds works](https://singingads.com/how-it-works) end to end. ## What it can’t do - Hook rate measures attention at the start of an ad, not sales; judge an ad on cost per result too. Paste your product page. SingingAds writes a jingle about it, sings it and cuts a vertical video ad, using only claims your page makes. From $15 for one ad, or $29 a month for about 4 thirty-second video ads. Made with AI; you approve every word before anything is sung. ## What it costs From $15 for one ad, or $29 a month for about 4 thirty-second video ads. A jingle take costs 4 credits; a typical 30-second video ad about 26. There is no free tier and no free sample. One-time packs ### One ad **$15** once 40 credits, about 1 thirty-second video ad ### Five ads **$59** once 180 credits, about 6 thirty-second video ads Monthly plans ### Starter **$29** a month 120 credits a month, about 4 thirty-second video ads ### Growth **$79** a month 400 credits a month, about 15 thirty-second video ads ### Agency **$199** a month 1100 credits a month, about 42 thirty-second video ads [Full pricing, credits and refunds](https://singingads.com/pricing) ## Questions **What is a good hook rate?** One that beats your own previous ads on the same platform and placement. Published benchmarks mix industries and definitions, so they are a weak guide for a single shop. **Is hook rate the same on TikTok and Meta?** No. Meta reports 3-second video plays and TikTok reports 2-second and 6-second video views, so the inputs differ. Calculate each platform separately. **Should I divide by impressions or by reach?** Impressions, because Meta counts video plays per impression. Dividing by reach mixes a per-view count with a per-person count and inflates the number. **How many impressions do I need before trusting a hook rate?** Enough that a handful of extra plays would not change the percentage much. A few thousand impressions per version is a sensible floor for a small test. ## Sources - [Meta Business Help Center, 3-second video plays](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/743427195703387), read 17 Oct 2026 - [TikTok Ads Manager Help Center, Video play metrics](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/video-play), 2025-11, read 17 Oct 2026 ## Related - [GlossaryWhat is thumb-stop ratio?](https://singingads.com/glossary/thumb-stop-ratio) - [GlossaryWhat is a sonic logo?](https://singingads.com/glossary/sonic-logo) - [GlossaryWhat is a jingle?](https://singingads.com/glossary/jingle) - [GuideHow to make a TikTok slideshow ad](https://singingads.com/guides/how-to-make-a-tiktok-slideshow-ad) - [Use caseTurn your Shopify product page into a TikTok ad that sings](https://singingads.com/use-cases/tiktok-ad-for-shopify-product) - [AllGlossary](https://singingads.com/glossary)