What is CPV?
CPV (cost per view) is the price you pay each time your video ad earns a counted view: total spend divided by total views. Google Ads defines it as the amount charged per view or interaction on video campaigns Google, Ad tools bidding page, 2026. What counts as a "view" is platform-specific, and that footnote is where the money hides.
Where you see it in Ads Manager
Google Ads surfaces "Avg. CPV" as a standard column on video campaigns and lets you bid a maximum CPV directly Google, Ad tools bidding page, 2026. TikTok prices its Video Views objective per view event TikTok Ads Manager, Video Views help, 2026. Meta's nearest sibling is cost per ThruPlay Meta Business Help Center, ThruPlay, 2026. Same shape, different views.
The metric family, one screen
| Metric | You pay per | Deep dive |
|---|---|---|
| CPV | counted view (definition varies by platform) | the solver |
| CPM | 1,000 impressions, watched or not | CPV vs CPM |
| CPC | click | CPV vs CPC |
| CPCV | completed view | CPV vs CPCV |
Who actually buys on CPV
YouTube in-stream advertisers on CPV bidding Google, Ad tools bidding page, 2026, TikTok Video Views buyers TikTok Ads Manager, Video Views help, 2026, and by extension anyone whose weekly review quotes a per-view number. CTV buyers mostly pay CPM and convert (how).
Next: the formula with worked examples and the per-platform view definitions.