TikTok counts views differently than other social media platforms. On TikTok, one view is counted every time a video starts playing. This means that the same person can generate multiple views on a single video if they watch it multiple times. So no, TikTok does not limit views to just one per person or device.
How TikTok Counts Views
Here’s a more in-depth look at how TikTok calculates views:
- A view is counted when a video starts playing, whether the viewer watches the full video or not.
- Views are counted even if the video is played without sound.
- Views are counted whether the video is played in the TikTok app or embedded elsewhere.
- The same person or device can generate multiple views by watching the video again. There is no limit.
- Bots and automated views are filtered out and not counted.
So in summary, TikTok counts a view every time a real person intentionally clicks play on a video. It does not limit the number of views per user. The same person watching a video 10 times would add 10 views.
Why TikTok Counts Views This Way
TikTok’s method of counting views has some advantages:
- It incentivizes creators to make engaging content that viewers want to watch multiple times.
- Views reflect true interest and reach rather than unique viewers.
- Views can’t be easily faked since each view requires an intentional play click.
There are also some disadvantages to this approach:
- View counts may appear inflated since one person can generate multiple views.
- It disadvantages long videos since short videos are easier to replay.
- Viewers may feel compelled to intentionally re-watch videos to boost creator counts.
Overall, TikTok likely determined that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages when compared to limiting views per person.
How Many Views Per Viewer is Typical?
There isn’t much public data on how many times the average viewer watches each video. But we can make some educated guesses:
- On very popular viral videos, most views likely come from unique viewers watching once.
- On smaller creator videos, fans may watch several times to boost counts.
- The average video likely gets 1-2 views per viewer on average.
- Highly addictive and entertaining content could average 3+ views per user.
TikTok has access to internal data and they have likely optimized their algorithm to maximize overall engagement and video views. The algorithm shows videos to engaged viewers who are more likely to replay content multiple times.
Do Multiple Views From One Person Help Videos Rank Higher?
Yes, videos that get more views and engagement overall will rank better in TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. TikTok has said that they optimize to show each user the content they find most engaging and entertaining.
So videos that get a lot of replay views will signal to the algorithm that the content is higher quality and should be shown to more people. Videos with only single views per person may not rank as highly.
However, artificial inflation from bots or coordinated efforts won’t fool the algorithm. Authentic and true user engagement is what matters most for surfacing videos to new viewers.
How to Check Your TikTok Video View Sources
Creators can get more insight into their video views and sources in TikTok Analytics:
- The Views report shows total video views over time.
- The Follower Views report shows views from those who follow you.
- The Non-Follower report shows views from non-followers.
- The Share report shows views generated from shares.
- The Profile Views report shows views via your profile.
Analyzing these reports can give a sense for how loyal current followers are versus new viewer discovery. This can help shape content strategy and optimization.
Tips for Increasing TikTok Video Views
Here are some best practices creators can use to get more TikTok views:
- Make entertaining and addictive content that viewers want to replay.
- Use strong hooks at the beginning to retain viewers.
- Use strategic hashtags so your content surfaces in feeds.
- Engage fans in the comments to fuel more shares.
- Post consistently to build an audience over time.
- Analyze your data and optimize based on what’s working.
In Summary
TikTok counts all views from people intentionally clicking play on a video. The same person can generate multiple views by watching a video more than once. This approach incentivizes addictive content and better reflects true reach. Multiple video views from individuals will help that content perform better in recommendations. But artificial inflation doesn’t help. Creators should focus on making engaging content and strategically promoting it to gain authentic viewership and reach new audiences.
