Scroll-Stop Rate (SSR)

The share of impressions that survive the first three seconds of a video ad, calculated as 3-second video plays divided by impressions. Also called thumb-stop rate or hook rate; the standard measure of whether a hook works.

Daniel Busch
Written by Daniel Busch · Chief of Staff

In short

  • Scroll-stop rate = 3-second video views / impressions
  • It measures the hook and nothing else; the opening frames either stop the thumb or they do not
  • Also known as thumb-stop rate, thumb-stop ratio or hook rate
  • Compare it across your own creatives; the trend matters more than any absolute benchmark

Why scroll-stop rate matters

Every downstream metric of a video ad, watch time, clicks, conversions, is gated by one moment: whether the viewer stops scrolling at all. Scroll-stop rate isolates exactly that moment. A creative with a weak scroll-stop rate cannot be saved by a great offer, because almost nobody sees the offer.

How to calculate and use it

Divide 3-second video plays by impressions. Meta reports both, so the ratio is a one-line custom metric. Use it to compare hooks, not whole ads: test several openings on the same body creative and keep the one that stops the most thumbs, then judge the rest of the ad with click-through and conversion metrics.

What it does not tell you

A high scroll-stop rate proves the hook, not the ad. Shock openings can stop thumbs and still convert nobody, which is why the metric belongs at the top of a funnel read: scroll-stop rate for the hook, CTR for the promise, conversion rate for the offer and landing page.

FAQ about Scroll-Stop Rate

How do I calculate scroll-stop rate?

Divide 3-second video plays by impressions. Both are standard Meta metrics, so it works as a one-line custom metric in any reporting view.

What is a good scroll-stop rate?

Benchmarks vary by placement and vertical, so compare your own creatives against each other rather than chasing an absolute number. The winner of a hook test is the variant with the highest rate on the same audience.

Is scroll-stop rate the same as hook rate or thumb-stop rate?

Yes, they are the same metric under different names: the share of impressions that survive the first three seconds. It proves the hook only; judge the rest of the ad with CTR and conversion rate.