Retention rate is the percentage of a video that the average viewer watches before clicking away, often reported as average percentage viewed or average view duration. On YouTube, retention rate is one of the strongest signals the ranking system uses to decide whether a video deserves wider distribution. Videos with steady retention curves, quick hooks, and satisfying payoffs tend to earn more suggested traffic. Weak retention, especially early drop-off in the first thirty seconds, tells the algorithm that the packaging over-promised or the pacing under-delivered.