Cost per view formula
CPV is what you paid for a video campaign divided by the views it was charged for. What counts as a view is set by the platform. In Google Ads, CPV bidding pays for views and interactions; a skippable in-stream view counts when someone watches 30 seconds (or the whole ad if it is shorter) or interacts with it, and an in-feed view counts when someone clicks the thumbnail or watches the autoplay for at least 10 seconds.[1] Bumper and non-skippable ads do not count views this way, so they are bought by impression instead.[2]
- CPV$0.040
- Cost per 1,000 views$40.00
- View rate25%
- Effective CPM$10.00
CPV vs CPM
CPV and CPM are linked by the view rate, the share of impressions that become views.[2] Multiply CPV by the view rate and by 1,000 and you get what each 1,000 impressions cost (CPM is cost ÷ impressions × 1,000).[3] The table shows the effective CPM behind common CPV and view-rate pairs; compare it with the CPM calculator to decide whether to buy views or impressions.
| View rate | $0.02 CPV | $0.05 CPV | $0.10 CPV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $2.00 | $5.00 | $10.00 |
| 20% | $4.00 | $10.00 | $20.00 |
| 30% | $6.00 | $15.00 | $30.00 |
| 40% | $8.00 | $20.00 | $40.00 |
A rising view rate at the same CPV raises the effective CPM: you pay for more of the impressions, because more of them turn into views. That is good news if views are what you want.
How many views will my budget buy?
Divide the budget by the CPV. $500 at $0.04 a view buys about 12,500 views; at a 25% view rate the platform has to serve 50,000 impressions to deliver them. The impression calculator does the same for impression-based buys, and the TikTok engagement rate calculator shows how to judge what those views did.
CPV mistakes
- Comparing views across platforms. A 30-second view and a 2-second autoplay are different events; compare CPV only within one platform and format.
- Treating organic views as paid. Google Ads reports paid views separately from organic channel views; CPV uses paid views only.
- Stopping at CPV. Cheap views that nobody acts on are not cheap. Track clicks and conversions with the cost per lead calculator or CPA.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate cost per view?
Video ad cost ÷ views. $1,000 ÷ 25,000 views = $0.040 per view.
What counts as a view on YouTube ads?
For skippable in-stream ads, 30 seconds watched (or the full ad if shorter) or an interaction; for in-feed ads, a thumbnail click or 10 seconds of autoplay. Google Ads documents both.
How do I convert CPV to CPM?
CPM = CPV × view rate × 1,000. A $0.04 CPV at a 25% view rate is a $10 effective CPM.
What is view rate?
Views ÷ impressions: the share of times the video ad was shown that turned into a counted view.