Thumbstop ratio: the number, and what it hides
Another name for hook rate: how often the ad stopped the scroll.
Why thumbstop ratio matters
The name is more useful than the metric, because it describes the actual physical event you are buying: a thumb stopping. Teams that talk about thumbstop tend to design openings; teams that talk about impressions tend not to.
What this looks like with real numbers
Two ads, same product. One opens on a logo sting, the other opens mid-sentence on someone already annoyed about the problem. The logo ad stops 6% of thumbs; the mid-sentence ad stops 19%. Nothing about the offer changed. The second one simply started at a point worth stopping for.
What it does not tell you
Platforms count a 'play' generously. Treat the absolute number as meaningless and the relative number — this ad against your other ads — as the whole point.
The mistake people actually make
Quoting a thumbstop figure from another brand's case study. Platforms count plays generously, so the number only means something against your own other ads.
Questions, answered.
How do you calculate thumbstop ratio?
3-second video plays ÷ impressions. Another name for hook rate: how often the ad stopped the scroll.
What goes wrong with thumbstop ratio?
Quoting a thumbstop figure from another brand's case study. Platforms count plays generously, so the number only means something against your own other ads.
What does thumbstop ratio not tell me?
Platforms count a 'play' generously. Treat the absolute number as meaningless and the relative number — this ad against your other ads — as the whole point.
Change the creative, not the dashboard
Another name for hook rate: how often the ad stopped the scroll.