The total number of times your Meta video ads started playing, including auto-plays.
Meta Video Plays = COUNT ( Video Plays )
| Metric | Definition |
|---|
| Video Plays | Each instance a video ad started playing, whether auto-played in feed or user-initiated |
| Metadata | |
|---|
| Type | Number |
| Data Source | Meta Ads |
| Aggregation | Sum |
Example
Your video campaign generated 142,800 plays across three ad sets this week:
| Ad Set | Plays | Views | Play-to-View Rate |
|---|
| Lifestyle | 68,400 | 52,100 | 76% |
| Product Demo | 51,200 | 41,000 | 80% |
| Testimonial | 23,200 | 16,500 | 71% |
How It Works
Video Plays counts every time your video starts playing, including auto-plays as users scroll through their feed. This number is typically higher than Video Views because Meta only counts a “view” after 3+ seconds of watch time. The gap between plays and views reveals how many people scrolled past immediately.
When to Use
| Scenario | Action |
|---|
| Measuring initial exposure | Track raw video starts across campaigns |
| Diagnosing drop-off | Compare plays to views to find early abandonment |
| Evaluating hook effectiveness | Low play-to-view rate suggests weak opening |
| Optimizing cost efficiency | Divide spend by plays to find cost per video play |
| Metric | Relationship |
|---|
| Meta Cost per Video Play | Ad Spend ÷ Video Plays |
| Meta Video Views | Plays that reached the 3-second threshold |
