Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.8 billion monthly active users as of Q4 2021. Brands and creators use Facebook to reach and engage with their target audiences. One of the key metrics brands look at is views – how many times their video or image content is viewed by users. But what exactly constitutes a view on Facebook? In this in-depth guide, we will look at the different types of content views on Facebook and what the requirements are for each one to count as a view.
Video Views
Videos uploaded directly to Facebook can accumulate views which appear under the video. For a video view to count on Facebook:
- The video must be played for at least 3 seconds. This applies to both desktop and mobile.
- The video must play on an in-feed placement or be expanded into full screen. Videos that autoplay in the background do not count as a view unless expanded.
- The viewer does not need to watch the full video. As long as they watch for more than 3 seconds, it counts.
- Volume does not need to be turned on.
- Views are counted from all viewers, including followers and non-followers.
Some things to note about Facebook video views:
- Repeats views only count if a new 3 second play session occurs. A user continuously replaying a 3 second loop will not accumulate new views.
- Impressions do not equal views. An impression is counted when the video appears in a user’s feed. A view only occurs once the user initiates playback.
Organic vs Paid Video Views
There are two main ways video views can accumulate on Facebook:
- Organic views – These occur when users view videos that appear naturally in their main feeds or are shared by other users in their feeds.
- Paid views – These occur when users view videos promoted through Facebook ads. The video ad needs to play for at least 3 seconds for the view to count.
Both organic and paid views appear in a video’s main view count. However, page admins can segment analytics to see the breakdown between paid and unpaid views.
Photo Views
Photo posts can also accumulate views on Facebook, which appear below the image. For a photo view to count:
- The photo must be loaded on the user’s screen. Simply scrolling past a photo in the feed does not count as a view.
- The entire photo must be on screen. It cannot be truncated or cut off.
- The photo must be displayed at 100% size. Thumbnail previews do not count.
- The photo must be displayed for at least 3 seconds. Quickly scrolling through does not count.
As with video views, photo views count whether they are from followers or non-followers viewing organically or through ads.
Considerations for Video and Photo Views
When looking at video and photo views on Facebook, keep these additional points in mind:
- Deleted or unpublished content stops accumulating views.
- Views from bots or click farms do not count towards the legitimate view count.
- Views only increment when content is viewed within Facebook. If content is shared or embedded elsewhere, those views are not counted.
- Facebook approximates view counts and may update them later after processing additional tracking data.
- Very high or viral view counts may be manually reviewed by Facebook before being added to the total.
Carousel Post Views
Carousel posts on Facebook contain multiple images or videos that the user can horizontally scroll through. For carousel post views:
- Only the images/videos visible on screen are counted as views. Views do not increment as the user scrolls through the carousel.
- A minimum of 3 seconds viewing time is required for each image/video to count as a view.
- The 3 second timer resets as the user scrolls from one piece of content to the next in the carousel.
Because of the way carousel views are counted, they typically achieve lower view counts compared to standard photo and video posts.
Considerations for Carousel Post Views
- The view count shown is the total combined views of all content in the carousel.
- If there are 5 images in the carousel and users view all 5, the view count will be 5. Not 1 view of the carousel.
- All images in the carousel have equal opportunity to be viewed from the initial post. Positioning does not influence view count.
- If any content in the carousel is deleted or hidden, it stops accumulating views.
Live Video Views
Facebook Live videos can also accumulate views while they are broadcasted live or after the event in replay mode.
For a live view to count:
- The live video must be playing on the user’s screen.
- Audio does not need to be turned on.
- Users do not need to Like or comment on the live video.
- A minimum of 20 seconds is required for the view to be counted.
For a replay view of a live video to count:
- Same criteria as live views – video must play on-screen for 20+ seconds.
- Only video replays within the first 24 hours after the live broadcast count as views.
- After 24 hours, ongoing views switch to the standard 3 second metric.
The view count displayed on a Facebook Live video is the real-time total of both live viewers and replay views combined.
Considerations for Live Video Views
- Simultaneous multi-stream viewing only counts once. For example, viewing on both desktop and mobile.
- Peak concurrent views may be higher than the total view count, since not all viewers watch for 20+ seconds.
- Total view duration is available in Facebook Insights for more in-depth viewing metrics.
- Deleted live videos will show view metrics up until the point of deletion.
Story Views
In addition to regular feed content, views also accrue for stories on Facebook. This includes stories posted directly to your profile story as well as stories contributed to the group stories feature in Facebook groups.
For a story view to count:
- The entire story content must load on screen.
- Audio or text stories must be displayed for at least 2 seconds to count as a view.
- Image/video stories must be displayed for at least 3 seconds.
- The viewer does not need to actively tap or engage with the story.
Story views accumulate throughout the 24-hour lifetime of the story. View counts remain visible after stories expire or are deleted.
Facebook Ad Views
One exception to Facebook’s standard view metrics are views of ads and boosted posts.
For an ad view to be counted:
- The ad must be on screen for just 1 second. No audio initiation required.
- This applies to video, photo and carousel ads.
- The quicker 1-second metric encourages more advertisers to create video ads.
- Automatic next-slide behavior in carousels does increment ad views.
So ad views are counted significantly more generously than organic content on Facebook’s platform.
Measuring Views with Facebook Insights
While basic view counts are displayed directly below content on Facebook, for more detailed analytics you need to use Facebook Insights.
Insights provide analytics on your Facebook Page’s content, allowing you to segment views by:
- Paid vs organic
- Video duration metrics
- Demographics and audience breakdowns
- Engagement actions
- Watch time metrics
- Traffic sources
- Location
For professional use, Insights provide the data needed to fully assess content performance and audience engagement on Facebook.
Best Practices to Maximize Facebook Views
Here are some top tips to increase views on your Facebook content:
- Optimize video length for the platform – aim for under 60 seconds for highest completion rates.
- Hook viewers in the first 5 seconds with impactful visuals, sound and editing.
- Use attention-grabbing preview images and customize captions for each user cohort.
- Go live consistently and promote events to turn viewers into loyal fans.
- Use AB testing to experiment with variables – length, style, captions, etc.
- Study Insights data to identify your top-performing content formats and styles.
- Prompt viewers to take actions like Liking, Sharing, and Following your Page.
- Run targeted ads to boost views from your ideal audience demographics.
Conclusion
Facebook has precise definitions on what engagement actions actually count as views for different content formats. Understanding the requirements for video, photo, live, and story views enables marketers to better analyze their performance and optimize content strategies for greater visibility. While Facebook aims to provide consistent metrics, brands should be aware that view calculations are still estimates and subject to updating. Monitoring view counts in Insights rather than on the post itself provides the most accuracy. Overall, optimizing to increase view duration as well as volume will ensure content leaves lasting impact on viewers.
Summary of Facebook View Count Requirements
| Content Type | View Requirements |
|---|---|
| Video (organic and ads) | 3 seconds watched |
| Photo | 3 seconds in feed |
| Carousel Images/Video | 3 seconds per item |
| Live Video (live views) | 20 seconds watched |
| Live Video (replays) | 20 seconds within 24 hrs (then 3 seconds) |
| Stories | 2 seconds text/audio, 3 seconds image/video |
| Ads | 1 second visible |
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about Facebook views:
How long do you need to watch a Facebook video for it to count as a view?
For organic Facebook videos, the video must be watched for at least 3 consecutive seconds. Paid video views from ads only require 1 second.
Do autoplay views count on Facebook?
No, videos that autoplay in the background do not count as views unless the user initiates playback for 3+ seconds. The video must be user-activated.
Can the same person view the same video multiple times and have the views count?
Yes, if a user watches the same video again for an additional 3+ second view, it will increment the view counter each time. Repeat organic views are counted.
Do thumbnail previews in the Facebook feed count as photo views?
No, simply displaying the thumbnail image does not count. To qualify as a photo view, the image needs to be loaded at full size for 3+ seconds.
How are carousel views counted on Facebook?
Carousel view counts are the total of all views accumulated by each individual item impressed for 3+ seconds. Scrolling through doesn’t increment additional views.
Do live views and replay views on Facebook both count?
Yes, Facebook counts both the real-time viewers concurrent to the live broadcast as well as views of the replay video within the first 24 hours.
Can you buy views on Facebook?
No, paid services offering Facebook views are against platform policies and should be avoided. They often deliver fake bot views which will be excluded from counts.
Where do I find more detailed viewing metrics for my Facebook videos?
Facebook Insights provides much more in-depth analytics on your content performance, including view duration, demographics, traffic sources and more.