Metric wiki

What is vCPM?

By Oliver Wakefield-Smith · updated July 2026

The short answer

vCPM is the cost per 1,000 viewable impressions: served ads that met the MRC's bar of 50% of pixels on screen for one continuous second (two for video). Google Ads offers vCPM bidding for display, charging only for impressions its Active View measurement deems viewable. Same money, honest denominator.

The standard50% / 1sMRC viewable impression standard: 50% of pixels in view for 1 continuous second (display) or 2 seconds (video)Media Rating Council viewability standardsretrieved July 2026

The bidding optionvCPMGoogle Ads viewable CPM bidding: you pay only for impressions measured viewableGoogle Ads viewable CPM biddingretrieved July 2026

Converting between CPM and vCPM

vCPM = CPM ÷ viewability rate

$2.00 served CPM at 50% viewability = $4.00 per viewable thousand

$2.00 served CPM at 70% viewability = $2.86 per viewable thousand

Viewability rates here are stated inputs for the conversion; your campaign's rate is in your reporting.

The conversion is where cheap display gets honest: a bargain served CPM on inventory that is half below the fold doubles in viewable terms. When comparing a served-CPM quote against a vCPM quote, convert both to the same denominator first or you are comparing different products. This is also the fair way to line display up against formats that are viewable by construction, worked at display vs CTV.

Served vs viewable vs heard

Every channel draws the attention line somewhere else: display serves pixels (viewability optional), CTV runs full-screen by default, podcasts bill downloads that prove delivery but not listening (the download caveat). vCPM is display's attempt to move its line closer to actually seen, and Google's implementation charges you on that basis if you choose the bid strategy. Related wiki entries: eCPM and the supply-chain view at programmatic CPM; display context at Google Display.