Introduction to advertising metrics in SmartAds Manager

List of SmartAds Reporting Metrics Groups

(Updated: 02/2026)

SmartAds reporting metrics are categorized into four main groups to help advertisers monitor and optimize digital ads performance effectively:

• Group 1: Cost & Delivery Metrics

• Group 2: Visibility & Reach Metrics

• Group 3: Engagement Metrics

• Group 4: Video Ads Metrics

Below is a detailed explanation of each SmartAds metrics group:

1. Cost and Budget Delivery Metrics

This group of SmartAds metrics helps advertisers track budget consumption and ad delivery performance across the digital ads system. These metrics indicate how efficiently advertising budgets are spent, the average cost per delivery unit, and overall cost effectiveness when reaching users.

1.1. Expense

Expense represents the total amount an advertiser has spent on a campaign during the selected time range. This metric allows advertisers to monitor budget pacing within the SmartAds platform and evaluate alignment between planned budgets and actual campaign performance.

• Formula: Expense = Total advertising spend during the selected period

• Unit: VND

1.2. CPM – Cost per 1,000 Impressions

CPM (Cost per Mille) is the average cost required for an ad to be displayed 1,000 times within the SmartAds digital ads ecosystem.

• Formula: CPM = Total ad spend / (Impressions / 1,000)

• Unit: VND

1.3. CPC – Cost per Click

CPC (Cost per Click) indicates the average cost an advertiser pays for each user click on a SmartAds ad leading to the destination landing page.

• Formula: CPC = Total ad spend / Total clicks

• Unit: VND

CPC is a key SmartAds metric for evaluating how effectively digital ads attract and persuade users, especially in traffic-driven campaigns.

1.4. CPV – Cost per Video View (6 seconds)

CPV (Cost per View) measures the average cost for each video ad view that reaches at least 6 seconds, or a full view if the video duration is shorter than 6 seconds.

• Formula: CPV = Total ad spend / Total 6-second video views

• Unit: VND

CPV helps advertisers assess cost efficiency of video digital ads in capturing initial viewer attention.

1.5. CPCV – Cost per Completed Video View

CPCV (Cost per Completed View) is the average cost paid for each video ad view that reaches 100% completion. This SmartAds metric directly reflects content quality and viewer retention capability.

• Formula: CPCV = Total ad spend / Total completed video views

• Unit: VND

2. Visibility and Reach Metrics

These SmartAds metrics evaluate whether digital ads are actually seen by users, rather than merely being served technically.

2.1. Impression

An Impression represents each time a SmartAds ad is delivered on a publisher page. Impressions are recorded automatically, even if users do not scroll to the ad position.

• Unit: Count

2.2. Viewable Impression (True Impression)

A Viewable Impression, also known as a True Impression, is recorded when at least 50% of the ad area appears within the user’s viewport. This metric reflects real visibility quality in digital ads measurement.

• Unit: Count

2.3. Reach

Reach measures the number of unique users who have seen a SmartAds ad, identified by FO ID and updated daily after 00:00. This metric answers how many people within the target audience the digital ads actually reached.

• Unit: Unique users

2.4. Frequency

Frequency indicates the average number of times a single user has seen an ad during the measurement period. This SmartAds metric helps advertisers control message repetition depth per user.

• Formula: Frequency = Viewable Impressions / Reach
• Unit: Impressions per user

Too low frequency may result in weak recall, while excessive frequency can cause ad fatigue. Therefore, Frequency is typically analyzed alongside Reach to balance scale and repetition in digital ads delivery.

3. Engagement Metrics

Engagement metrics reflect how users actively interact with SmartAds after seeing digital ads.

3.1. Clicks

Clicks represent the total number of times users click on SmartAds ads to access the destination page, indicating direct interest and action.

• Formula: Clicks = Total ad clicks

• Unit: Clicks

3.2. CTR – Click Through Rate

CTR is the percentage of clicks divided by total impressions. It reflects ad attractiveness but should be evaluated together with traffic quality.

• Formula: CTR = (Clicks / Impressions) x 100

• Unit: %

3.3. Viewable CTR

Viewable CTR measures the ratio of clicks to viewable impressions, offering a more accurate assessment of digital ads performance based on actual visibility.

• Formula: Viewable CTR = (Clicks / Viewable Impressions) x 100

• Unit: %

Additionally, after implementing UTM tracking and SmartAds Pixel, advertisers can monitor on-site engagement metrics such as:

• Avg. time on site (s): Average time users spend on the website, reflecting engagement depth.

• Avg. depth scrolls (%): Percentage of page content scrolled, indicating content attractiveness.

• Sessions: Total website visits during the measurement period.

• Pageviews: Total number of page loads across the website.

• Events (beta): User interactions such as button clicks, form submissions, or video views.

• CPA (beta): Average cost per conversion action.

>>> Guide to setting up UTM tracking and SmartAds Pixel.

4. Video Performance Metrics

Video performance metrics help advertisers analyze viewing behavior, retention, and content effectiveness of video digital ads.
>>> How to read video ads metrics? Learn more here.

4.1. Video Plays

Video Plays count the number of times a video starts playing for at least 1 millisecond, excluding replays.

• Unit: Views

4.2. 3-second Video Plays

The number of times a video is viewed for at least 3 seconds, excluding replays.

• Unit: Views

4.3. 6-second Video Plays

The number of times a video is viewed for at least 6 seconds, or fully viewed if shorter than 6 seconds.

• Unit: Views

4.4. Watch Time

Watch Time is the total duration users spend watching SmartAds video ads, measured in seconds and excluding replays.

• Formula: Watch Time = Total viewing time across all plays

• Unit: Seconds

4.5. Avg. Play Time

Avg. Play Time indicates the average time a user spends watching a video ad.

• Formula: Avg. Play Time = Watch Time / Total video plays

• Unit: Seconds

4.6. Video Plays at 25% / 50% / 75% / 100%

The number of video views reaching 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of total duration, reflecting viewer retention at each stage.

• Unit: Views

4.7. View Rate

View Rate measures the ratio of video plays to total impressions.

• Formula: View Rate = Video Plays / Impressions

• Unit: %

View Rate shows how likely users are to stop and watch video ads when they appear.

5. Key takeaways for advertisers

• Focus on delivery quality, not just cost: Metrics such as Viewable Impression, Viewable CTR, and Frequency help brands assess whether digital ads are truly seen and remembered.

• Balance reach and repetition: Reach reflects scale, while Frequency measures repetition per user. Combining both helps maximize awareness without overwhelming audiences.

• Creative effectiveness drives cost efficiency: CPC, CTR, CPV, and CPCV highlight how compelling ad creatives are. Low cost only matters when paired with meaningful engagement.

• Video ads should be evaluated by viewing behavior: 3s, 6s, view rate, and completion metrics are critical for branding-focused campaigns.

• Full-funnel measurement enables sustainable optimization: By combining SmartAds Pixel and UTM data, advertisers can connect impressions, engagement, and on-site behavior to make data-driven budget and content decisions.