# Video Play Tracking

Source: https://support.exposure.co/en/articles/13421778-video-play-tracking/

_Understand which videos engage your audience most._

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## Overview

Video Play Tracking shows you exactly which videos your readers watch in your published stories. Track plays, completion rates, and engagement across all video types—cover videos, uploaded videos, YouTube embeds, and Vimeo embeds.

This feature is available exclusively to **Business plan** users.

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## Privacy-First Design

We built Video Play Tracking with privacy as a core principle. Here’s how we protect your readers:

### What We Track

-   ✅ **Play count** – How many times each video is played
    
-   ✅ **Completion rate** – Percentage of viewers who watch to the end
    
-   ✅ **Progress milestones** – 25%, 50%, 75% completion points
    
-   ✅ **Device type** – Desktop, mobile, or tablet (aggregated)
    
-   ✅ **Video label** – Descriptive name for each video
    

### What We Don’t Track

-   ❌ **Personal information** – No names, emails, or identifiable data
    
-   ❌ **IP addresses** – We hash IPs immediately; raw addresses are never stored
    
-   ❌ **Cookies** – No tracking cookies are used
    
-   ❌ **Cross-site tracking** – We only track plays within your stories
    
-   ❌ **Individual viewer behavior** – All data is aggregated and anonymized
    

### How We Protect Privacy

<table role="presentation" style="border: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-radius: 6px; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Protection</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Description</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin"><b>Anonymous by default</b></p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Play events contain no personally identifiable information</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin"><b>IP hashing</b></p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">IP addresses are one-way hashed before storage</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin"><b>No cookies</b></p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Works without setting any tracking cookies</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin"><b>Author-only access</b></p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Only you can see your video play data</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

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## Supported Video Types

Video Play Tracking works automatically with all video types in your stories:

<table role="presentation" style="border: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-radius: 6px; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Video Type</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Source</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">How It's Tracked</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin"><b>Cover Video</b></p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Looping video at story top</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Requires 3+ seconds of watch time</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin"><b>Native Video</b></p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Uploaded MP4/video files</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Tracks play, progress, and completion</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin"><b>YouTube</b></p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">YouTube embeds</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Uses YouTube IFrame API</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin"><b>Vimeo</b></p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Vimeo embeds</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Uses Vimeo postMessage API</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

**Note:** Cover and looping videos require at least 3 seconds of viewing to count as a play. This prevents autoplay from inflating your stats.

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## How It Works

1.  **Publish your story** with videos in the content
    
2.  **Readers watch videos** while viewing your story
    
3.  **View stats** in the Story Stats Panel
    

Video tracking is automatic for all Business plan members. When a reader plays a video:

-   The play is recorded anonymously
    
-   Playback continues with no interruption
    
-   Progress milestones are tracked (25%, 50%, 75%, complete)
    
-   The play count updates in real-time
    

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## Viewing Video Play Stats

### Story Stats Panel

The fastest way to see video plays for a specific story:

1.  Open a published story in the editor
    
2.  Click **Story Stats** in the toolbar
    
3.  View the **Video Plays** section
    

You’ll see:

-   **Total play count** across all videos
    
-   **Individual video stats** – each video with its play count
    
-   **Completion rate** – percentage who watched to the end
    
-   **Video type** – Cover, Native, YouTube, or Vimeo
    
-   **Status indicator** – Shows if a video was removed (stats preserved)
    

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## Understanding Video Labels

Videos in your stats are identified by human-readable labels:

<table role="presentation" style="border: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-radius: 6px; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Priority</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Label Source</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">1st</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Caption text from the photo group</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">2nd</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Nearest heading before the video</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">3rd</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Position-based (e.g., "Video 1", "Video 2")</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">4th</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Platform default (e.g., "YouTube Video")</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

**Preserved stats:** If you remove a video from your story, its play statistics are kept with the original label so you don’t lose historical data.

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## Understanding Your Video Stats

### Play Count

The total number of times a video has been played. Each unique viewing session counts as one play.

**Deduplication:** The same viewer watching multiple times within an hour counts as one play. This prevents accidental refreshes from inflating your stats.

### Completion Rate

The percentage of plays that resulted in the viewer watching to the end:

```
Completion Rate = (Completions / Total Plays) × 100
```

A higher completion rate indicates your video content is engaging and the right length for your audience.

**Note:** Cover videos and looping videos don’t track completion since they loop continuously.

### Progress Milestones

We track when viewers reach these points in your videos:

-   **25%** – Early engagement
    
-   **50%** – Halfway point
    
-   **75%** – Strong engagement
    
-   **Complete** – Watched to the end
    

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## Tips for Using Video Tracking

### Optimize Your Content

-   **Compare completion rates** – Higher rates suggest better engagement
    
-   **Test video lengths** – See if shorter or longer videos perform better
    
-   **Check cover video engagement** – See if your hero video captures attention
    

### Build Better Stories

-   **Track product demos** – See which products resonate with your audience
    
-   **Monitor tutorial videos** – Understand what educational content viewers want
    
-   **Analyze embedded content** – Compare YouTube vs. Vimeo performance
    

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Does video tracking slow down my story?** A: No. Tracking uses non-blocking requests that don’t affect video playback or page performance.

**Q: Can I see who watched my videos?** A: No. All video data is anonymous. You see aggregate counts, not individual viewer information.

**Q: Does this work on mobile?** A: Yes. Video tracking works on all devices and browsers.

**Q: Why does my cover video require 3 seconds to count?** A: Cover videos autoplay on page load. Requiring 3 seconds of watch time ensures we only count genuine engagement, not just page loads.

**Q: Are YouTube and Vimeo embeds tracked automatically?** A: Yes. All embedded YouTube and Vimeo videos are tracked automatically.

**Q: What happens if I delete a video from my story?** A: The play statistics are preserved with the original video label. The stats panel will show “Removed” next to deleted videos.

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## Plan Availability

<table role="presentation" style="border: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-radius: 6px; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Plan</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Video Play Tracking</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Free</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">❌ Not available</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Pro</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">❌ Not available</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">Pro Plus</p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">❌ Not available</p></td></tr><tr><td style="border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin"><b>Business</b></p></td><td style="border-left: 1px solid #c6c9c0; border-top: 1px solid #c6c9c0; padding: 8px;"><p class="no-margin">✅ <b>Full access</b></p></td></tr></tbody></table>

Upgrade to Business to unlock Video Play Tracking and see exactly how readers engage with your video content.

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## Need Help?

If you have questions about Video Play Tracking, we’re here to help:

-   **Email:** [hello@exposure.co](<mailto:hello@exposure.co>)

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_Last updated: January 2026_

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## Need help?

Use the [Exposure contact form](<https://exposure.co/contact>).