Hook rate, explained.
By Denzel Geng · Updated June 2026
Hook rate is the percentage of impressions that watch the first 3 seconds of your video ad. Formula: 3-second video views ÷ impressions × 100. It measures how scroll-stopping your hook is.
Meta reports it off 3-second views; some teams use the 2-second “thumb-stop” view instead — pick one and stay consistent.
Hook rate = 3-second video views ÷ impressions × 100.
What's a good hook rate?
Benchmarks move a lot with platform, audience, and how you count the view, so treat these as rules of thumb, not targets:
Above ~30%
Strong — the hook is doing its job.
~20–30%
Around average for cold paid traffic.
Below ~20%
Weak — the first 3 seconds need a new hook.
Because the number shifts so much with setup, the comparison that matters is your own hooks against each other — test variants on the same video and keep the highest.
Hook rate vs hold rate.
Hook rate measures the first 3 seconds — did the hook stop the scroll. Hold rate measures whether they keep watching after that — did the body hold attention (e.g. 15-second or completion views ÷ impressions). A high hook rate with a low hold rate is a great hook on a video that doesn't deliver; a low hook rate caps everything downstream, which is why the hook is the first thing to fix.
How to improve your hook rate.
Hook rate is a hook problem, so fix the first 3 seconds: test 3–5 hook variants on the same video, change only the opener, and keep the winner. Use the library for the patterns and the generator to spin up variants fast.
Hook rate questions.
Hook rate is the percentage of impressions that watch the first 3 seconds of your video ad — 3-second views ÷ impressions × 100. It measures how scroll-stopping your hook is.
As a rule of thumb, above ~30% is strong, ~20–30% is around average for cold paid traffic, and below ~20% means the hook needs work. Benchmarks vary, so compare your own hooks against each other.
Hook rate = 3-second video views ÷ impressions × 100. Some teams use 2-second (thumb-stop) views instead of 3-second — just stay consistent.
Hook rate measures the first 3 seconds (did the hook stop the scroll); hold rate measures whether viewers keep watching after that (did the body hold them). You want both high.
Change the first 3 seconds. Test 3–5 hook variants on the same video, swap only the opener, and keep the one with the highest hook rate. Retire hooks as they fatigue.
Low hook rate? The hooks winning in your niche already exist.
ViralMojo finds the hooks actually working in your niche this week, decodes why each one stops the scroll, and briefs it for you — so you raise hook rate from a proven winner, not a guess.
See the hooks winning in your nicheSee the hooks winning in your niche