The TikTok completion rate — the percentage of viewers who watch a video from start to finish — drops sharply as video length increases, falling from 89.4% for 7-second clips to just 8.2% for 10-minute videos. TikTok's algorithm treats completion rate as one of its strongest ranking signals, making this metric arguably more important than likes or comments for determining how widely your content gets distributed.
Key Findings
Completion rate is the single most influential factor in TikTok's content recommendation engine. When a viewer watches your entire video and loops back to watch it again, TikTok interprets that as a powerful quality signal and distributes the content to larger audiences.
Here are the core completion rate benchmarks by video length for 2026:
| Video Length | Avg. Completion Rate | Avg. Loop Rate | Algorithm Distribution Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 seconds | 89.4% | 42.1% | High |
| 15 seconds | 72.6% | 28.3% | Very High |
| 30 seconds | 54.8% | 14.7% | High |
| 60 seconds | 38.2% | 6.1% | Moderate-High |
| 90 seconds | 27.5% | 3.2% | Moderate |
| 3 minutes | 16.9% | 1.1% | Moderate-Low |
| 5 minutes | 12.3% | 0.4% | Low |
| 10 minutes | 8.2% | 0.1% | Low |
The critical insight: 15-second videos hit the sweet spot between completion rate and watch time. While 7-second clips achieve higher completion percentages, 15-second videos generate more total watch time per view (10.9 seconds of average watch time versus 6.3 seconds for 7-second clips), and TikTok's algorithm weighs total watch time alongside completion rate.
Three key patterns emerge from the data:
- Every additional 15 seconds of video length reduces completion rate by approximately 12-18 percentage points in the sub-60-second range.
- Loop rate (viewers rewatching) drops faster than completion rate, meaning short-form content benefits disproportionately from rewatch behavior.
- Longer videos compensate with higher total watch time, which is why TikTok has not abandoned long-form — a 3-minute video with 16.9% completion still delivers 30.4 seconds of average watch time.
Measure your video completion performance against these benchmarks -->
TikTok Video Completion Rate by Video Length — Primary Data
Understanding what drives completion rate requires looking beyond raw percentages. The relationship between video length and completion is not linear — it follows a decay curve with critical drop-off points that every creator should understand.
15s
Fifteen-second videos remain the backbone of high-performing TikTok content in 2026. With an average completion rate of 72.6%, these videos are watched to the end by nearly three out of four viewers.
Why 15 seconds works so well:
- Attention commitment is low. Viewers are willing to invest 15 seconds even if the content does not immediately hook them, leading to fewer early drop-offs.
- Loop behavior multiplies watch time. The 28.3% loop rate means that more than one in four viewers watch the video at least twice, often without consciously deciding to — the video restarts before they swipe away.
- Ideal for single-idea content. One tip, one joke, one reveal — the constraint forces creators to distill content to its most engaging essence.
Completion rate for 15-second videos varies meaningfully by niche:
| Niche | 15s Completion Rate | 15s Loop Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Comedy/Skits | 78.3% | 36.1% |
| Dance/Music | 76.9% | 33.8% |
| Quick Tips/Hacks | 74.2% | 29.4% |
| Product Reviews | 69.7% | 22.6% |
| Storytelling | 67.1% | 19.8% |
Comedy and dance content benefits from the "punchline effect" — viewers rewatch to catch the joke or appreciate the choreography, driving loop rates above 33%. Educational quick tips also perform strongly because the entire value proposition is delivered within the 15-second window.
30s
Thirty-second videos represent the transition zone between ultra-short and mid-length content. At 54.8% average completion, they lose roughly a quarter of the audience compared to 15-second clips, but they offer substantially more room for narrative development.
The 30-second drop-off pattern:
Most 30-second videos lose viewers at two predictable points — around the 8-10 second mark (the initial hook window) and again around the 20-22 second mark (where viewers decide whether the payoff is worth the remaining time). Creators who structure their 30-second videos with a hook at 0-3 seconds, a development at 10-20 seconds, and a payoff at 25-30 seconds see completion rates 11-15% above average.
The 14.7% loop rate for 30-second content is meaningful — it means TikTok's algorithm sees these videos accumulate an average of 17.1 seconds of watch time per view when accounting for partial replays, making them competitive with 60-second videos in total watch time generated.
For creators who want to understand how completion rate impacts their overall engagement rate, the correlation is strong: videos in the top 25% for completion rate generate 3.2 times more total engagements than videos in the bottom 25%.
TikTok Video Completion Rate by Video Length — Extended Data
60-Second and 90-Second Videos
The one-minute mark represents a significant psychological threshold for viewers. At 38.2% completion, 60-second videos lose nearly two-thirds of their audience before the end. However, this tier has seen the most improvement year-over-year — completion rates for 60-second videos increased from 34.6% in 2024 to 38.2% in 2026 as audiences have grown more accustomed to longer TikTok content.
Ninety-second videos average 27.5% completion and occupy a tricky middle ground. They are too long to benefit from the loop and rewatch dynamics that power short-form content, but too short to deliver the depth that justifies longer viewing sessions. Most creators should either trim to 60 seconds or expand to 3 minutes rather than targeting the 90-second range.
Long-Form: 3 Minutes to 10 Minutes
TikTok's push into long-form content has produced a distinct viewing pattern. Three-minute videos average 16.9% completion — roughly one in six viewers watches to the end. While this sounds low, it is important to contextualize: a 3-minute video with 100,000 views and 16.9% completion generates approximately 50,700 minutes of total watch time. A 15-second video needs 337,800 views to match that figure.
| Duration | Avg. Watch Time Per View | Views Needed for 50K Min Watch Time |
|---|---|---|
| 15 seconds | 10.9 sec | 275,229 |
| 30 seconds | 17.1 sec | 175,439 |
| 60 seconds | 28.4 sec | 105,634 |
| 3 minutes | 30.4 sec | 98,684 |
| 5 minutes | 42.6 sec | 70,423 |
| 10 minutes | 61.8 sec | 48,544 |
This table reveals why TikTok incentivizes longer content through the Creator Rewards Program — longer videos generate more total watch time per view, which keeps users on the platform longer.
Niche-Specific Optimal Lengths
The ideal video length depends heavily on content category:
| Niche | Optimal Length | Completion at Optimal | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comedy | 15-20s | 74-78% | Punchlines land faster |
| Education | 45-90s | 35-42% | Enough time to explain, high save rate |
| Storytelling | 60-180s | 28-38% | Narrative needs arc development |
| Product Reviews | 30-60s | 42-55% | Viewers want quick verdict |
| Fitness/How-To | 30-45s | 48-56% | Demonstrate one move per video |
| ASMR/Ambient | 3-10min | 12-18% | Viewers use as background content |
Education creators should note that while their completion rates are moderate, their save rates tend to be the highest across all niches, compensating for lower completion with stronger quality signals.
Understanding how the TikTok algorithm weighs these signals helps creators make informed decisions about content length rather than defaulting to whatever is trending.
Methodology
This completion rate analysis draws from 1.8 million TikTok videos published during Q4 2025 and January 2026, spanning 32,000 creator accounts across 14 content verticals.
Data sources and collection:
- Primary data: Aggregated from third-party analytics platforms that track public TikTok metrics, supplemented by anonymized creator dashboard data shared through our Creator Insights Program (4,200 participating creators).
- Completion rate definition: The percentage of viewers who watched from the first frame to the final frame of the video. TikTok counts a "complete view" when the progress bar reaches 100%. Partial replays and loops are tracked separately.
- Loop rate definition: The percentage of viewers who watched the video more than once in a single session, measured as sessions with 100%+ watch-through.
- Sample balancing: Videos were weighted to ensure proportional representation across video lengths. Without balancing, the sample would over-represent 15-30 second content, which makes up the majority of TikTok posts.
- Exclusions: Ads, promoted content, videos with fewer than 500 views, and content from accounts with fewer than 1,000 followers were excluded.
Key limitation: Completion rate data is only accessible through creator analytics dashboards — it is not publicly visible on videos. Our dataset therefore relies on creator-shared data and third-party estimation models. The figures presented should be treated as representative benchmarks, not exact population values.
Calculate Your Own Numbers
Generic benchmarks provide context, but your completion rate performance depends on your specific content style, audience, and niche. The TikTok Completion Rate Calculator lets you input your own video metrics and see how your content stacks up against the benchmarks for your video length.
If your completion rates are below the averages for your video duration, consider these data-backed strategies:
- Front-load value. The first 2-3 seconds determine whether viewers commit. Open with visual movement, a provocative question, or on-screen text that creates curiosity.
- Match length to content type. Forcing a 15-second idea into 60 seconds destroys completion rate. If you can deliver the value faster, cut it shorter.
- Use pattern interrupts. In videos over 30 seconds, change the visual pattern every 5-8 seconds — switch camera angles, add text overlays, change scenes. This resets the viewer's attention clock.
- Test and iterate. Post the same concept at different lengths and compare completion rates in your analytics.
Your completion rate directly influences how many people see your content, which in turn affects your engagement rate and earning potential. Explore more TikTok engagement data and benchmarks on our engagement data hub to build a complete picture of your content performance.