The Depth Gauge
Two videos can post identical stay time and completely different depth — this tells you which one actually held people.
How far into the video the average viewer gets — the percentage twin of stay time.
What it actually measures
The Depth Gauge converts attention into progress: what share of the video the average viewer consumed. It's the fairness adjustment for length — 90% depth on a short video and on a long one represent very different amounts of held attention, and reading both metrics together is what makes either honest.
How to read it
- 1
Short videos inflate the percentage; long videos deflate it — the mirror image of stay time's bias. Read them as a pair.
- 2
Loops can push short-form past 100% on some platforms. That's replays counting — it's the strategy working.
- 3
Track it by format: your talking-head baseline and your process-video baseline are different numbers.
- 4
Classic misread: chasing depth by only making shorter videos. You're shrinking the denominator, not holding attention longer.