What is a good retention rate?

Good retention means people reach the part you made the video for. The percent depends on length. A 20 minute video and a 20 second video are not comparable.

Evergreen

Compare like with like

Look at average percentage viewed for videos of similar length. Then look at the shape. An early cliff is the open. A cliff at a chapter is that chapter. A slow slide is a video that should have been shorter.

For shorts, completion and replays matter more than a pretty curve. For streams, compare average viewers to the peak, and see if people are still there after the start.

Frequently asked questions

Should I loop a short to fake retention?

A loop that feels like a trick gets one replay and a lot of annoyed swipes later. Earn the replay with a line worth hearing twice.