function calculateVCR() {
var starts = document.getElementById('videoStarts').value;
var completions = document.getElementById('videoCompletions').value;
var resultBox = document.getElementById('vcr-result');
var resultValue = document.getElementById('resultValue');
var resultFeedback = document.getElementById('resultFeedback');
var errorMsg = document.getElementById('inputError');
// Reset error state
errorMsg.style.display = 'none';
// Validation
if (starts === "" || completions === "") {
alert("Please fill in both fields.");
return;
}
var numStarts = parseFloat(starts);
var numCompletions = parseFloat(completions);
if (isNaN(numStarts) || isNaN(numCompletions) || numStarts numStarts) {
errorMsg.style.display = 'block';
errorMsg.innerText = "Error: Completions cannot be higher than the number of starts.";
resultBox.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
// Calculation logic
var vcr = (numCompletions / numStarts) * 100;
// Formatting result
var finalVCR = vcr.toFixed(2);
// Display Result
resultBox.style.display = 'block';
resultValue.innerHTML = finalVCR + '%';
// Dynamic Feedback
var feedback = "";
if (vcr >= 70) {
feedback = "Excellent! Your audience is highly engaged.";
} else if (vcr >= 50) {
feedback = "Good job. A significant portion of viewers are finishing your video.";
} else if (vcr >= 30) {
feedback = "Average. Consider optimizing the first few seconds to hook viewers longer.";
} else {
feedback = "Below average. Analyze drop-off points to understand where you are losing the audience.";
}
resultFeedback.innerHTML = feedback;
}
What is Video Completion Rate (VCR)?
Video Completion Rate (VCR) is a critical performance metric in digital marketing and content analytics. It measures the percentage of viewers who watched your video advertisement or organic content all the way to the end. Unlike a standard "view" count, which might trigger after only a few seconds, VCR indicates true audience retention and engagement.
Tracking VCR is essential for advertisers paying for completed views and for content creators looking to understand if their storytelling is compelling enough to hold attention until the final frame.
How to Calculate Video Completion Rate
The formula for VCR is straightforward. You divide the number of times the video was played to completion by the total number of times the video started playing.
VCR = (Video Completions ÷ Video Starts) × 100
Example Calculation
Imagine you are running a video ad campaign on social media:
Your video started playing 10,000 times (Starts/Impressions).
Users watched the video to the very end 4,500 times (Completions).
Calculation: (4,500 ÷ 10,000) × 100 = 45%
This means 45% of the people who saw your video start actually stayed to watch the entire message.
Why VCR Matters
1. Ad Effectiveness: If your Call-to-Action (CTA) is at the end of the video, a low VCR means most people are missing your main offer.
2. Platform Algorithms: Algorithms on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram heavily favor content with high completion rates (and re-watch rates), pushing such videos to wider audiences.
3. Creative Quality: VCR helps diagnose creative fatigue. If VCR drops over time, it may be time to refresh your creative assets.
What is a Good Video Completion Rate?
Benchmarks vary wildly depending on the platform, video length, and format (skippable vs. non-skippable).
Non-skippable ads: typically have VCRs of 70% to 90%.
Skippable ads (15s): often see VCRs between 10% and 30%.
Organic Content: VCR depends heavily on video length. Shorter videos (under 30s) generally require much higher completion rates (80%+) to be considered viral-worthy, while longer form content (10m+) might aim for 30-40%.