# Impressions

**Category:** metrics  
**Short Description:** The total number of times an ad is displayed to users.  
**Last Updated:** 2024-03-15

## Definition

Impressions measure the total number of times an advertisement is shown to users, regardless of whether they interact with it. Each time an ad appears on a screen counts as one impression, though viewability standards may require minimum exposure duration or percentage in view to count as a valid impression.

## Calculation

**Formula:** `Impressions = Total Ad Displays`

**Explanation:** A count of how many times the ad was served and displayed to users. Modern platforms typically require minimum viewability standards (e.g., 50% of pixels in view for 1 second) to count as an impression.

### Components

- **Total Ad Displays**: Count of times the ad was shown to users meeting platform viewability criteria

## Examples

- An ad shown to 100 people once each equals 100 impressions
- An ad shown to 50 people twice each equals 100 impressions
- 1M impressions with 70% viewability means 700K viewable impressions

## Related Terms

### Similar Terms

- **[Reach](/resources/glossary/metrics/reach)**: Counts unique users vs total views

### Component Terms

- **[Ad Frequency](/resources/glossary/metrics/ad-frequency)**: Average impressions per user
- **[Cost Per Mille (CPM)](/resources/glossary/metrics/cost-per-mille-cpm)**: Cost per thousand impressions
- **[Click-Through Rate (CTR)](/resources/glossary/metrics/click-through-rate-ctr)**: Clicks divided by impressions
- **[Share of Voice (SOV)](/resources/glossary/metrics/share-of-voice-sov)**: Impressions contribute to overall market presence measurement
- **[Thumbstop Rate](/resources/glossary/metrics/thumbstop-rate-tsr)**: Measures the portion of impressions that capture meaningful attention