What is hold rate?
Nicklas Segatz Mortensen · Growth Hacker · Fractional CMO · Meta Ads Nerd · 8 July 2026 · 3 min.
Definition
Hold rate is the share of viewers who keep watching the ad after the first few seconds — typically measured as the share who reach ThruPlay or watch a meaningful portion of the video.
Also called: Hold rate, Video retention rate, ThruPlay rate
Sådan virker det
Hold rate er andelen, der bliver hængende efter de første sekunder — typisk målt som ThruPlay. Hvor hook rate måler, om annoncen stopper folk, måler hold rate, om budskabet holder dem. Sammen fortæller de, hvor i annoncen det fejler.
01Hook stops, hold convinces
Hook rate and hold rate are a pair. Hook rate tells you whether the opening stops people; hold rate tells you whether the message holds them once they've stopped. An ad can have a strong hook and a weak hold — people stop, but lose interest when the message doesn't deliver.
Together the two numbers give a precise diagnosis: if the hook fails, rework the opening; if the hold fails, it's the middle — the argument, the pacing, the payoff on the promise the hook made. That's far more actionable than just looking at CPA.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between hook rate and hold rate?+
Hook rate measures whether the first seconds stop the scroll (3-second views / impressions). Hold rate measures whether people stay afterward (e.g. ThruPlay). Hook stops people; hold convinces them.
What do I do if hold rate is low?+
Then the problem is in the middle of the ad: the argument is weak, the pacing sags, or it doesn't deliver on the opening's promise. Tighten the middle rather than touching the hook, which clearly works.
Related terms
Glossary
What is hook rate?
Hook rate is the share of ad impressions that turn into 3-second video views — that is, how many people stop in the first few seconds instead of scrolling past.
Read the entry →Glossary
What is UGC?
UGC (User Generated Content) is ad content in a raw, authentic format that looks like it was created by an ordinary user or customer — rather than a polished, produced spot.
Read the entry →Glossary
What is CTR?
CTR (Click-Through Rate) is the number of clicks divided by the number of impressions, expressed as a percentage. If an ad gets 30 clicks from 1,000 impressions, CTR is 3%.
Read the entry →
Nicklas Segatz Mortensen
Growth Hacker · Fractional CMO · Meta Ads Nerd at Oaksmond
Growth hacker and fractional CMO with 10+ years' experience and hundreds of millions in managed ad spend behind him. Background from larger Danish and international scale-ups, and from the agency world.
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