Viewability Rate Calculator

What is Viewability Rate?

Ad Viewability is a metric that tracks whether a digital ad had the opportunity to be seen by a user. An impression is counted as “viewable” only if it meets specific criteria set by the Media Rating Council (MRC) and IAB. For a standard display ad, this means at least 50% of the ad’s pixels must be on-screen for at least one continuous second.

How to Calculate Viewability Rate

The formula for calculating viewability is based on the number of impressions that were both measurable and viewable:

For example, if a campaign had 100,000 measurable impressions and 75,000 of them were deemed viewable, the viewability rate would be 75%.

Why is Viewability Important?

Viewability is a critical metric for advertisers because it moves beyond simply serving an ad to measuring if it had a chance to make an impact:

• Measures True Reach: It tells you how many people actually had the opportunity to see your ad, which is a much more accurate measure of reach than raw impressions.
• Reduces Wasted Ad Spend: If you’re paying for impressions that are never seen (e.g., ads that load below the fold and are never scrolled to), you’re wasting money. Optimizing for viewability ensures your budget is spent on ads that can actually be seen.
• Improves Campaign Performance: Ads that are seen are far more likely to be clicked on and lead to conversions. A high viewability rate is often correlated with better overall campaign performance and higher ROI.
• Industry Standard: It has become a standard currency for buying and selling digital advertising, with many advertisers refusing to pay for non-viewable impressions.