YouTube CTR calculator
Your YouTube click-through rate is views from impressions divided by impressions, times 100. Enter both numbers from YouTube Studio and the calculator shows your CTR, how it compares with other channels, and how many extra views you'd get at a higher CTR. According to YouTube, half of all channels and videos have an impressions CTR between 2% and 10%.
Where to find the numbers
In YouTube Studio, open Analytics, then the Content tab, and scroll to How viewers find your videos. You'll see impressions, impressions click-through rate, and views from impressions. Open a single video's analytics to check one video instead of the whole channel.
What counts as an impression
YouTube counts an impression when a thumbnail is on screen for at least one second with at least half of it visible. That covers the home page, search, suggested videos and subscriptions. Views from links and embeds outside YouTube aren't impressions, so they're left out of CTR.
Why a high CTR isn't the whole story
CTR usually drops as a video reaches more people. A new video shown mostly to subscribers gets clicked a lot; when YouTube starts showing it to strangers, impressions climb faster than clicks. A falling CTR on a video with rising impressions is normal. Compare videos at the same age, and look at average view duration next to CTR: a thumbnail that gets clicks but loses viewers in the first 30 seconds is misleading people.
How to raise it
The thumbnail and the title do almost all the work. Check your design with the thumbnail tester, which shows it next to real videos in the home feed, search and sidebar, and the thumbnail rater, which checks contrast, colour, faces and text size. YouTube's Test & compare feature in Studio can then test up to three thumbnails on the same video.
Common questions
How is YouTube CTR calculated?
Views from impressions divided by impressions, times 100.
What is a good YouTube CTR?
It depends on the traffic source and how widely YouTube shows the video. CTR usually falls as a video reaches more strangers, so compare a video with your own others, not with a fixed number.
Where do I find impressions in YouTube Studio?
Analytics, then Content, then How viewers find your videos.
How do I raise my CTR?
Improve the thumbnail and title. Check the design with the thumbnail tester and test versions with YouTube's A/B testing.