Does rewatching a Facebook video count as a view?

When a video is posted on Facebook, one of the key metrics tracked is the number of views that video receives. For businesses and creators posting videos, having a high view count can help increase engagement and reach. This leads many to ask: does rewatching or replaying a Facebook video add to the view count? Or is it only counted as a view the first time someone watches it?

What Counts as a View on Facebook

Facebook officially counts a view when someone watches a video for 3 seconds or more. This applies whether it is the first time viewing the video or a repeat viewing. Here are some key points on what constitutes a view:

The video must be played for a minimum of 3 seconds for it to count as a view.

Views are counted regardless of whether the video is watched in full or not.
A view is counted each time an individual watches the video for 3+ seconds, including repeat views.
Views are attributed to the individual user, so the same person rewatching a video will add to the view count each time.

So in summary, yes rewatching a Facebook video does count as an additional view each time according to the platform’s algorithm. The number of views displayed reflects total times watched for 3 seconds or more, not unique viewers.

Why Facebook Counts Repeat Views

Counting repeat views along with unique views allows Facebook to display a more accurate view count that shows the true number of times a video has been watched. Here are some reasons why repeat views are included:

It encourages users to re-engage with videos they enjoyed watching.

It rewards content creators for videos that have replay value.
It factors in that people may watch videos multiple times if they find it interesting.
It accounts for videos being shared across multiple timelines and viewed by the same people.

Counting only unique views would discount the amount of activity around a popular, engaging video. The view metrics are meant to reflect the total consumption of and interaction with posted videos.

How Views Impact Ranking on Facebook

In addition to providing useful metrics for creators, views also play a role in how Facebook surfaces videos to users. Videos that receive more views and engagement can gain greater reach on Facebook. Here are some of the ways view counts can improve visibility:

Videos with more views appear higher in News Feed and search results.

Facebook’s algorithm favors videos that are being actively watched by users.
More views signal to Facebook that a video is interesting content to promote.
Highly-viewed videos are more likely to be suggested as related videos.

So rewatching and sharing videos can create a positive feedback loop. More views lead to greater visibility, which then leads to even more views. This viral cycle rewards content that resonates most with the Facebook audience.

Tips for Increasing Video Views on Facebook

Here are some tips creators can use to boost views and engagement for their Facebook videos:

Optimize videos for sound-off viewing – many watch Facebook videos muted.
Use compelling preview images and titles so the video stands out in News Feed.
Engage viewers in the first 10 seconds before drop off happens.

Make videos shareable by encouraging reactions and comments.
Post consistently and test different video types to see what performs best.
Promote top-performing videos with ads to expand reach.

Analyze metrics to double down on video strategies that work.

Driving views takes experimentation to understand a particular audience on Facebook. With smart optimization and promotion, creators can get their videos in front of more interested viewers.

Why You May Want to Discount Repeat Views

While Facebook officially counts all views equally, creators may still want to look at unique viewers too when evaluating video performance. Here are some reasons why discounting repeat views can be beneficial:

It gives a sense of how many distinct users you are reaching.
It prevents extremely inflated numbers from a few loyal fans rewatching.
It accounts for view inflation from auto-play or accidental clicks.

It provides a measure of how broadly the video is resonating.

While repeat views are a positive signal, a video going viral to new viewers also shows strong performance. Analyzing both total and unique views can provide a more nuanced evaluation.

Third-Party Tools to Track Unique Views

Since Facebook’s built-in analytics focus on total views, creators can turn to third-party tools to get data on unique viewers. Some options include:

TubeBuddy – Provides unique viewer counts along with other key YouTube metrics.
VidIQ – Tracks unique viewers as one of many stats available in its video toolkit.
tubics – Offers advanced analytics including unique viewer counts for video platforms.

Fanbytes – An agency that retrieves unique views and other engagement data for clients.

These tools tap into the Facebook API to pull view data and filter out repeats. They can provide added insight beyond the standard Facebook metrics.

Should Facebook Change Their View Count Policy?

There are reasonable arguments on both sides of whether Facebook should modify their policy to discount or omit repeat views. Here are some perspectives on both options:

Arguments for Counting Repeat Views

It’s a more accurate reflection of total viewership and engagement.
Repeat views signify the content is worth watching multiple times.
This method incentivizes creators to make highly rewatchable videos.

It’s simpler and more straightforward than tracking unique views.

Arguments Against Counting Repeat Views

It can inflate view counts and make videos seem more popular than they are.
Unique viewers is a better measure of how many people you reached.

Viewbots could exploit it and falsely boost view metrics.
Advertisers care more about reaching new viewers vs repeat viewers.

There are merits to both approaches. Perhaps the ideal solution is to provide creators with both total views and unique views for fuller context. But in the end, the view definition aligns with Facebook’s ultimate goal – to promote engaging content that people want to watch.

How Other Platforms Count Views

Here is a quick rundown of how other major video platforms count views:

YouTube

Counts views from new devices & users, doesn’t discount repeats.
Only counts views from active watch time, filters out clicks and bots.

YouTube Analytics provides metrics like Average View Duration and Audience Retention.

TikTok

Counts any view over 1 second from a real user, including repeats.
View counts update in real-time as engagement happens.

Separate metrics like Likes, Comments, Shares to assess engagement.

Instagram

Counts views from unique accounts, doesn’t inflate numbers with repeat views.
View count stops incrementing after a certain threshold is reached.

Measures plays, not views, for video posts made to feed.

Twitter

Counts all video views but doesn’t show public view count.
Analytics provide info like Watch Time, Completion Rate, and Retweets.

Focus is more on engagement through Likes, Retweets, Comments.

Facebook’s view policy is on the more inclusive end of the spectrum. But across platforms, the common focus is highlighting content that resonates most with users.

Conclusion

In summary, rewatching a video on Facebook does count as an additional view each time according to the social media platform’s current algorithm. This allows them to display a total view count that accurately reflects the full amount of times videos are watched and engaged with on Facebook.

While some creators may also want to track unique viewers or other engagement metrics, the view definition aligns with Facebook’s goal of promoting content that keeps users watching, reacting, commenting and sharing. But the view counting methodology may continue evolving over time as platforms balance creators’ and advertisers’ needs with user experience.