Thumbstop Ratio

1. What is Thumbstop Ratio?

Thumbstop Ratio is a creative performance metric that measures the percentage of people who stop scrolling for at least 1 second after your ad appears in their feed.

It is essentially the platform’s measure of:

“Did your creative grab attention instantly?”

Thumbstop Ratio is one of the earliest and most powerful indicators of:

• creative strength
  
  

• hook quality
  
  

• storytelling velocity
  
  

• first-second engagement
  
  

• potential conversion performance

Platforms like Meta use thumbstops as a leading predictor of Estimated Action Rate (EAR) and Engagement Rate Ranking.

2. How is it calculated?

The Thumbstop Ratio formula is:

Thumbstops ÷ Impressions × 100

More precisely:
A thumbstop is counted when a user pauses scrolling on your ad for 1 second or longer, even if they do not like, comment, click, or watch further.

Example:

If 10,000 people saw your ad (impressions)
and 1,200 stopped long enough to register a 1-second pause,

Your Thumbstop Ratio =
1,200 ÷ 10,000 × 100 = 12%

3. What does it tell advertisers?

Thumbstop Ratio reveals the attention-capturing power of your creative.

A strong thumbstop ratio signals:

• your visual hook works
  
  

• the creative is interrupting feed flow
  
  

• users show early interest
  
  

• potential for strong engagement
  
  

• potential for high conversion likelihood
  
  

A weak thumbstop ratio signals:

• your creative is being ignored
  
  

• users scroll past too quickly
  
  

• your hook is weak or irrelevant
  
  

• the platform deprioritizes your ad

Thumbstop Ratio is one of the strongest predictors of whether a creative will scale or fail.

4. Why does this metric matter in campaigns?

A. Drives the Algorithm’s First Impressions

Platforms use thumbstop behavior to estimate:

• relevance
  
  

• user interest
  
  

• likelihood of further engagement
  
  

• conversion potential

A strong thumbstop signal improves EAR, which improves auction value, which lowers CPM.

B. Impacts Costs (CPM, CPC, CPA)

High thumbstop ratio → lower CPM
Low thumbstop ratio → higher CPM

Because ads that don’t capture attention make platforms hesitant to give them reach.

C. Predicts Creative Fatigue

As fatigue kicks in, thumbstops drop before costs rise.

Pro marketers watch thumbstop decline as an early warning sign.

D. Improves Creative Testing

In early testing rounds:

Thumbstop Ratio is the fastest signal of a winning creative.

It often predicts winners before CTR or CPA stabilize.

E. Influences Engagement Ranking

More thumbstops → more early interactions → higher predicted engagement.

5. How to diagnose performance using this metric

Strong Thumbstop Ratio (10–25% depending on niche)

Indicates:

• strong hook
  
  

• compelling opening frames
  
  

• good pattern-break
  
  

• native-feel creative
  
  

• high potential for scaling

Recommended next steps:

• A/B test variations of the hook
  
  

• Expand the audience
  
  

• Increase budget gradually
  
  

• Test CTA variations

Average Thumbstop Ratio (6–10%)

Indicates:

• acceptable but improvable creative
  
  

• resonance with a subset of the audience
  
  

• room for hook or visual improvement

Recommended next steps:

• Adjust first 1–3 seconds
  
  

• Change framing style (zoom, crop, angle)
  
  

• Swap intro line or opening motion

Weak Thumbstop Ratio (<6%)

Indicates:

• weak hooks
  
  

• poor scroll-stopping visual
  
  

• creative mismatch with audience
  
  

• platform deprioritization
  
  

Recommended next steps:

• Rewrite the first line of your script
  
  

• Replace the opening shot
  
  

• Add motion/transition
  
  

• Fix creative clarity or offer mismatch
  
  

• Test new concepts entirely
  
  

6. Related metrics to learn next (from your keyword list only)

Following your rules, the next most relevant metrics tied to Thumbstop Ratio are:

Scroll Depth

(because it measures how far users engage after the thumbstop moment)

Engagement Rate

(thumbnail and hook quality directly influence engagement)

Video Views & ThruPlay

(thumbstop is the first step; video views are the second)

CTR (Click Through Rate)

(thumbstops → engagements → clicks → conversions)