Retention tail
The final 10–20 percent of the retention curve.
The retention tail is the portion of viewers who watch to the end. It is a small percentage but a high-signal one.
Long tails indicate a strong payoff and high session contribution.
Short tails indicate the video ended too soon or the payoff failed to land.
Why it matters
A healthy retention tail is one of the cleanest indicators that the video earned its length.
How to improve it
- 01Aim for tail retention above 30% on under-10-minute videos.
- 02Use the tail to drive next-video CTAs.
- 03Don't pad the end; cut to the tail abruptly if needed.
Apply it
See your own retention tail in seconds.
Paste any YouTube, Shorts or TikTok link and our analyzer will surface the metric, the curve, and the move that lifts it next.