The short version
Hook rate is the share of impressions that turned into a 3-second video play. Hold rate is the share of those plays that kept watching.
Hook rate = 3-second video plays ÷ impressions × 100
Hold rate = ThruPlays ÷ 3-second video plays × 100
10,000 impressions and 2,800 three-second plays is a 28% hook rate. 900 ThruPlays out of those 2,800 is a 32% hold rate.
How to read the two together
Strong hook, weak hold: the opening promised something the rest of the video didn't deliver. Keep the hook, rework the body.
Weak hook, strong hold: people who get past the start like it. Test new openings.
Both weak: it's the concept, not the cut. Move on to a new angle.
I go deeper on all of this, including how to add hook rate as a custom column in Ads Manager, in hook rate: the first number to check on any video ad.
What's a good hook rate?
The best benchmark is your own account. The rules of thumb passed around ecommerce are roughly: under 20% weak, 25 to 30% solid, above 30% strong. Treat those as folklore, not research. Hook rate swings with placement, audience and autoplay, so compare Reels with Reels and cold traffic with cold traffic.
For hooks that keep working, see what hundreds of ad creatives taught me about hooks.
Pool rule 010Never run an ad you'd scroll past.
Quick answers
Is hook rate the same as thumb-stop ratio? Yes. Same formula, different name.
Does hook rate work for static ads? No. Statics have no video plays. Use click-through rate instead.
What is a ThruPlay? Meta counts a ThruPlay when a video is watched to completion, or for at least 15 seconds if it's longer.
Does a high hook rate mean the ad will sell? No. It means people watched. Whether they buy depends on the rest of the ad, the offer and the page.