How to track detailed performance per video on Facebook?

Facebook offers deep analytics for creators, but many don’t know where to locate the right metrics for retention, monetization, audience behavior, or RPM.

This guide shows you how to track every detail about each video, interpret the numbers, and use them to boost performance and earnings.

📌 Where to find detailed video insights on Facebook

Facebook gives two main places to track per-video analytics:

Professional Dashboard (best for creators using profiles)
Creator Studio (best for Pages)

Both offer deep insights, but the layout differs. Professional Mode focuses more on Reels and short-form data, while Creator Studio includes full breakdowns for long-form monetized videos.

🎯 Key metrics you should track for every video

If you want long-term performance and stable monetization, these metrics matter more than likes or shares:

1. Retention Graph – shows exactly where people stop watching.
2. Average Watch Time – primary ranking factor for long videos.
3. Suggested Video Traffic – determines viral potential.
4. Replays – signals content interest and satisfaction.
5. Monetization Eligibility – checks RPM, ad impressions, and content quality.

These numbers are the “health indicators” of your video ecosystem.

📈 How retention affects monetization

Retention is one of Meta’s biggest ranking factors, especially for monetized videos. If your retention curve drops below 25% in the first few seconds, Facebook reduces distribution to avoid wasting advertiser spend.

Videos with strong early retention often:

receive higher RPM
get more Suggested traffic
keep monetization enabled longer
earn more mid-roll impressions

Tracking this metric helps you identify weak openings and improve future intros.

📊 Understanding the “Engagement Funnel”

Each video has an engagement funnel that shows how viewers progress from impression to action:

Impressions → Facebook shows your content
3s Views → people pause long enough to consider it
15s Views → solid engagement
1-Minute Views → monetizable milestone for long-form videos
Complete Views → strong retention & high algorithm trust

If your funnel collapses early, you need stronger hooks or more compelling visuals in the first 2 seconds.

🧭 Tracking monetization metrics properly

Monetization insights show you if your video is earning correctly. You can track:

Ad Impressions
CPM & RPM
Monetizable Minutes Watched
Enabled Ad Breaks
Estimated Earnings
Monetization Status (Eligible, Limited, or Not Monetized)

A sudden drop in ad impressions often means algorithmic changes OR that your content crossed into “not advertiser-friendly.”

📍 Where to find per-video insights (step-by-step)

👉 For Professional Mode

Go to your Facebook profile.
Click Professional Dashboard.
Select Reels or Content.
Tap any video to open its insights.
Scroll to see retention, engagement, reach, and revenue (if monetized).

👉 For Creator Studio (Pages)

Open business.facebook.com/creatorstudio.
Click Content Library.
Choose the video you want to analyze.
Open the Insights tab.
Switch between Performance, Retention, and Monetization.

Creator Studio provides the deepest insights, especially for in-stream ad revenue and retention graphs.

🔍 Deep insights you should check for every video

Facebook’s analytics go far beyond views and likes. To grow consistently, you need to track “behavioral signals”—what viewers actually do while watching your video.

Audience Retention by Seconds — shows your strongest and weakest segments.
Viewer Demographics — age, gender, and region affect RPM and performance.
Engagement Distribution — likes, comments, saves, shares.
Traffic Sources — Home feed, Suggested, Profile, Search, Shares.
Active vs Passive Engagement — important for ranking.

Tracking these indicators helps you understand not just *how* your video performed, but *why* it performed that way.

📍 How to interpret retention graphs (Creator-level explanation)

The retention graph is the single most important metric for any video longer than 60 seconds, especially those monetized with in-stream ads. Here's how to interpret the patterns:

✔ Sharp drop in the first 3 seconds

Your hook did not match viewer expectations. The thumbnail and first sentence might not be aligned.

✔ Steady retention until 30%

Good pacing, strong storytelling, and satisfying visuals. This is usually a high-distribution video.

✔ Sudden dip mid-video

You likely introduced unrelated information or slowed the story. Editing corrections solve this quickly.

✔ End spike

A great sign—viewers are rewatching the ending or skipping back for more clarity.

📈 Understanding monetization-specific analytics

For monetized creators, these are your *true earnings drivers*:

Monetizable minutes watched
Ad Break availability (pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll)
Ad Impressions
Viewer geography (USA pays far more than Africa or Asia)
RPM (Revenue Per 1,000 Views)
Ad CPM (Cost Per 1,000 impressions)

If RPM drops suddenly, it usually means either:

Traffic shifted to low-paying regions
Viewer retention dropped, limiting ad delivery
Meta categorized your video as lower-quality for advertisers
Your content entered a “brand-sensitive” category

🛠️ Step-by-step: How to track Performance, Retention & Revenue

👉 Inside Professional Mode

Go to your Facebook profile.
Tap Professional Dashboard.
Select Content or Reels.
Choose any video.
Scroll down to view Retention, Audience, Reach, and Earnings.

👉 Inside Creator Studio (Recommended for deep analytics)

Open Creator Studio.
Select Content Library.
Choose the video.
Switch between Performance, Retention, Audience, and Monetization.

Creator Studio is the only place where you get the detailed “Ad Break impressions per minute” chart.

🚀 Advanced analysis: How to predict which videos will go viral

Viral videos share three performance indicators within the first 30 minutes:

Above-average 3-second view rate (strong hook)
Higher retention in the first 25% of the video
High Save & Share rate

If you see these numbers early, boost the video manually by sharing to groups or linking from your story.

🧪 Case Study — “Doubling earnings by reading analytics correctly”

A creator with 40,000 followers noticed that 80% of drop-offs occurred at 4 seconds. After studying retention:

He changed his intro format
Added captions for silent autoplay users
Shortened pauses between lines

Result: In one month, his Average Watch Time increased from 10 seconds to 22 seconds — and his video RPM increased by 46%.

📌 Checklist: What to monitor every time you post

✔ Retention curve (especially the first 5 seconds)
✔ 3-second & 15-second view rate
✔ Average watch time
✔ RPM trends
✔ Audience location
✔ Impression-to-view ratio
✔ Comments, saves, shares
✔ Suggested video traffic

These numbers reveal how Facebook’s algorithm “sees” your content.

Disclaimer

This content is based on Facebook’s analytics tools, creator insights, and performance metrics available at the time of writing. Facebook may update features at any time.

This article is for educational purposes and does not guarantee earnings or algorithmic results. Always check your Professional Dashboard for the most accurate data.

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