YouTube video embed metrics comparison

[victortranatx]

Why is there a large disparity in my metrics for Video Name Instances vs. Video Start?

I have an emebedded YouTube video on a page that registered 6.7k video name instances vs. 1.4k video starts. I would think the two figures would be closer together? Does this mean that users are starting, then stopping videos, and then clicking play again? I'm confused on the wide gulf between the numbers. Help please.

Victor

[BrianKasingli]

Probably what is happening is that the iframe from the embed component is making a HTTPS request to the youtube player, which the youtube player can be quite large; its a video player! Now after when you click on play, in theory, Youtube's chunked video clips are only being requested based on the chunk you are watching... Is probably why you see a smaller request by bytes when you click on play?

I've worked on the embed component recently and realized that if you extend the video to add an attribute to the iframe called loading="lazy", the page performance is enhanced. Making sure that the iframe is only loaded when you have scrolled down to the iframe where the player is supposed to be played; Previously our customer had like 20 embed components on the page, and the page was so slow. loading=lazy fixed out problems.

<iframe src="https://example.com"
        loading="lazy"
        width="600"
        height="400"></iframe> = 

[victortranatx]

Brian, I hadn't thought of the possibility that "chunks" of the video will make additional https requests, thus accounting for a higher "video instance" count. I could make a request to our developers that we add the loading = lazy pairing to the component code.

[HrishikeshKa · Accepted solution]

Hi @victortranatx ,

The disparity between the number of Video Name Instances and Video Starts could be due to a few different factors. Here are a few possibilities:

1. Autoplay: If the video is set to autoplay when the page loads, this could result in a higher number of Video Name Instances than Video Starts. Users may navigate away from the page before the video starts playing, resulting in a Video Name Instance but not a Video Start.

2. User Behavior: As you mentioned, users may start and stop the video multiple times, resulting in multiple Video Name Instances but only one Video Start. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as interruptions, distractions, or difficulty understanding the content.

3. Technical Issues: There could be technical issues with the video player or the tracking code that is causing discrepancies in the metrics. For example, if the tracking code is not firing correctly, it could result in inaccurate metrics.

To better understand the cause of the disparity, you may want to look at additional metrics such as Video Plays, Video Completions, and Video Abandons. These metrics can provide more insight into user behavior and engagement with the video.

Additionally, you may want to review the configuration of the video player and the tracking code to ensure that they are set up correctly. You can also check for any known issues or bugs with the video player or tracking code that could be causing discrepancies in the metrics.

Overall, it's important to keep in mind that metrics are not always straightforward and can be influenced by a variety of factors. By looking at multiple metrics and considering user behavior and technical issues, you can gain a better understanding of the engagement and effectiveness of your video content.

[victortranatx]

Hi @HrishikeshKa,

The video is not set to autoplay. I added a screenshot of the metrics available in our analytics suite. Is there additional analysis you can provide based on the metrics? Thank you!

[kautuk_sahni]

@victortranatx Did you find the suggestion helpful? Please let us know if you require more information. Otherwise, please mark the answer as correct for posterity. If you've discovered a solution yourself, we would appreciate it if you could share it with the community. Thank you!

[victortranatx]

I think HrishikeshKa answer is the most complete as far as possibilities. Bullet item 2 is what I am guessing is occurring, but I'd love to hear some replies to the table I embedded.