Snapchat Ads offers a distinct advertising experience built around full-screen, vertical content — from single image and video ads to interactive AR Lenses and multi-snap Story Ads. Understanding the full set of dimensions and metrics available through the Snapchat Marketing API is essential for building effective dashboards, optimizing campaigns, and making sense of performance reports.
This guide provides a complete reference of every dimension and metric available in Snapchat Ads as of 2026. We've organized them by category, included the API field names for developers and analysts, and added practical context on when and how to use each one.
How Snapchat Ads Data Is Structured
Snapchat Ads follows a three-level hierarchy: Campaign > Ad Squad > Ad. This is similar to other platforms but with Snapchat-specific terminology — ad squads are the equivalent of ad sets or ad groups on other platforms. Campaigns define the objective and overall spending limits. Ad squads control targeting, budget, bid strategy, placement, and scheduling. Ads contain the creative content itself.
The Snapchat Marketing API returns dimensions as entity fields and metrics through dedicated stats endpoints. Metrics can be queried at any level and support time-series granularity (hourly, daily, lifetime). The API also supports breakdown dimensions for segmenting metrics by demographics, device, and geography.
Campaign-Level Dimensions
Campaign-level dimensions define the top-level structure of your Snapchat advertising. These fields identify the campaign, its objective, and spending controls. Use these to organize reporting by campaign type and understand the strategic framework behind your results.
| Dimension | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign ID | campaign_id | Unique identifier for the campaign |
| Campaign Name | name | Name of the campaign as defined by the advertiser |
| Objective | objective | Campaign goal: AWARENESS, CONSIDERATION, CONVERSIONS, CATALOG_SALES, APP_INSTALLS |
| Status | status | Campaign status: ACTIVE, PAUSED, or EXHAUSTED |
| Effective Status | effective_status | Computed status factoring in parent account and child ad squad statuses |
| Daily Spend Cap | daily_budget_micro | Maximum daily spend in microcurrency (divide by 1,000,000 for actual value) |
| Lifetime Spend Cap | lifetime_spend_cap_micro | Maximum total campaign spend in microcurrency |
| Start Time | start_time | Campaign start date and time in ISO 8601 format |
| End Time | end_time | Campaign end date and time (null if no end date set) |
| Created At | created_at | Timestamp when the campaign was first created |
| Updated At | updated_at | Timestamp of the last modification to the campaign |
| Buy Model | buy_model | Purchasing model: AUCTION (default) or RESERVED for guaranteed delivery |
| Regulations | regulations | Regulatory compliance flags for restricted categories (alcohol, political, etc.) |
Ad Squad-Level Dimensions
Ad squad dimensions control who sees your ads, where they appear, and how the delivery is optimized. This is the most configuration-heavy level in Snapchat's hierarchy — equivalent to ad sets on Facebook or ad groups on Google.
| Dimension | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ad Squad ID | adsquad_id | Unique identifier for the ad squad |
| Ad Squad Name | name | Name of the ad squad as defined by the advertiser |
| Status | status | Ad squad status: ACTIVE, PAUSED, or EXHAUSTED |
| Type | type | Ad squad type: SNAP_ADS (standard) or STORY (Story Ads) |
| Placement | placement_v2 | Where ads appear: SNAP_ADS (between content), STORIES, CONTENT, SPOTLIGHT, CAMERA |
| Optimization Goal | optimization_goal | What Snapchat optimizes for: IMPRESSIONS, SWIPES, APP_INSTALLS, CONVERSIONS, VIDEO_VIEWS, PIXEL_PURCHASE |
| Bid Strategy | bid_strategy | Bidding approach: AUTO_BID, TARGET_COST, MIN_ROAS, or LOWEST_COST_WITH_MAX_BID |
| Bid Micro | bid_micro | Bid amount in microcurrency (for manual bid strategies) |
| Daily Budget | daily_budget_micro | Daily budget for the ad squad in microcurrency |
| Lifetime Budget | lifetime_budget_micro | Total lifetime budget in microcurrency |
| Start Time | start_time | When the ad squad begins delivery |
| End Time | end_time | When the ad squad stops delivery |
| Billing Event | billing_event | When you are charged: IMPRESSION or SWIPE |
| Auto Bid | auto_bid | Whether automatic bidding is enabled (true/false) |
| Targeting | targeting | Full targeting specification object including demographics, interests, and audiences |
| Target Age Min | targeting.demographics[0].age_groups | Minimum age in targeting (Snapchat uses age group ranges) |
| Target Gender | targeting.demographics[0].gender | Gender targeting: MALE, FEMALE, or both |
| Target Countries | targeting.geos | Geographic targeting by country, region, metro, or postal code |
| Target Devices | targeting.devices | Device targeting: ANDROID, iOS, or both |
| Custom Audiences | targeting.segments | Snap Audience Match segments (email lists, mobile IDs, lookalikes) |
| Lifestyle Categories | targeting.interests | Snapchat Lifestyle Categories based on content consumption patterns |
| Pixel ID | pixel_id | Snap Pixel associated with the ad squad for conversion tracking |
| Attribution Window | conversion_window | Swipe-up attribution window: 1_DAY, 7_DAY (default), or 28_DAY |
| View Attribution Window | view_conversion_window | View-through attribution window: 1_HOUR, 1_DAY, 7_DAY, or 28_DAY |
| Pacing Type | pacing_type | Budget distribution: STANDARD (even pacing) or ACCELERATED (spend ASAP) |
Ad-Level Dimensions
Ad-level dimensions describe the individual ad unit — its identity, creative format, status, and content. These are essential for creative analysis and understanding which specific ads drive performance within each ad squad.
| Dimension | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ad ID | ad_id | Unique identifier for the ad |
| Ad Name | name | Name of the ad as defined by the advertiser |
| Status | status | Ad status: ACTIVE, PAUSED, or PENDING_REVIEW |
| Review Status | review_status | Moderation status: PENDING, APPROVED, or REJECTED |
| Ad Type | type | Creative type: SNAP_AD, STORY_AD, COLLECTION, DYNAMIC, LENS, FILTER, COMMERCIALS |
| Creative ID | creative_id | Unique identifier of the associated creative object |
| Headline | headline | Ad headline text displayed to users |
| Brand Name | brand_name | Brand name displayed on the ad |
| Call to Action | call_to_action | CTA button: SIGN_UP, SHOP_NOW, LEARN_MORE, INSTALL_NOW, BOOK_NOW, etc. |
| Shareable URL | shareable_url | Landing page URL that users visit after swiping up |
| App Install Properties | app_install_properties | App store URL and deep link configuration for app install ads |
| Render Type | render_type | How the creative renders: STATIC, DYNAMIC, or PLAYABLE |
| Created At | created_at | Timestamp when the ad was created |
| Updated At | updated_at | Timestamp of the last modification |
Core Performance Metrics
These are the fundamental metrics that measure how your Snapchat ads are delivered and interacted with. Every Snapchat advertiser should understand these — they form the basis of all campaign analysis and optimization decisions.
| Metric | API Field | Description | Formula / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impressions | impressions | Number of times your ad was served | Counts each time the ad loads on screen, including repeats |
| Swipe-Ups | swipes | Number of times users swiped up on your ad | Primary engagement action — directs to website, app, or AR experience |
| Swipe-Up Rate | swipe_up_percent | Percentage of impressions that resulted in a swipe-up | (Swipe-Ups ÷ Impressions) × 100 |
| Spend | spend | Total amount spent in microcurrency | Divide by 1,000,000 for actual currency value |
| eCPM | ecpm | Effective cost per 1,000 impressions | (Spend ÷ Impressions) × 1,000 |
| eCPSU | ecpsu | Effective cost per swipe-up | Spend ÷ Swipe-Ups |
| Frequency | frequency | Average times each unique user saw the ad | Impressions ÷ Uniques |
| Uniques | uniques | Estimated number of unique users who saw the ad | Cannot be summed across periods — use the full date range |
| Earned Reach | earned_reach | Unique users reached through shares of your ad content | Organic amplification from paid impressions |
| Total Reach | total_reach | Combined paid and earned unique reach | Uniques + Earned Reach (deduplicated) |
| Shares | shares | Number of times your ad was shared by users | Indicates content virality and organic amplification |
| Saves | saves | Number of times users saved your ad | Strong intent signal — user wants to revisit the content |
| Screenshots | screen_time_millis | Total screen time across all impressions in milliseconds | Measures attention duration — divide by impressions for average |
Conversion Metrics (Snap Pixel)
Conversion metrics track business outcomes driven by your Snapchat ads. These rely on the Snap Pixel installed on your website, the Snapchat App SDK for mobile events, or the Conversions API (CAPI) for server-side tracking. All conversion metrics are available with configurable attribution windows.
| Metric | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Purchases (Swipe) | conversion_purchases | Purchase events attributed to swipe-up engagement |
| Purchases (View) | conversion_purchases_view | Purchase events attributed to view-through (saw but didn't swipe) |
| Purchase Value (Swipe) | conversion_purchases_value | Total monetary value of swipe-attributed purchases |
| Purchase Value (View) | conversion_purchases_value_view | Total monetary value of view-attributed purchases |
| ROAS (Swipe) | conversion_roas_swipe | Return on ad spend from swipe-up attributed purchases |
| ROAS (View) | conversion_roas_view | Return on ad spend from view-through attributed purchases |
| Add to Cart (Swipe) | conversion_add_cart | Add-to-cart events attributed to swipe-up |
| Add to Cart (View) | conversion_add_cart_view | Add-to-cart events attributed to view-through |
| View Content (Swipe) | conversion_view_content | Content view events from swipe-up |
| View Content (View) | conversion_view_content_view | Content view events from view-through |
| Page Views (Swipe) | conversion_page_views | Website page views from swipe-up engagement |
| Sign-Ups (Swipe) | conversion_sign_ups | Sign-up or registration events from swipe-up |
| Sign-Ups (View) | conversion_sign_ups_view | Sign-up events from view-through |
| App Installs (Swipe) | conversion_app_installs | App installs attributed to swipe-up |
| App Installs (View) | conversion_app_installs_view | App installs attributed to view-through |
| Initiate Checkout (Swipe) | conversion_initiate_checkout | Checkout initiation events from swipe-up |
| Add Billing (Swipe) | conversion_add_billing | Payment info submission events from swipe-up |
| Search (Swipe) | conversion_searches | Site search events attributed to swipe-up |
| Start Trial (Swipe) | conversion_start_trial | Free trial initiation events from swipe-up |
| Subscribe (Swipe) | conversion_subscribe | Subscription events attributed to swipe-up |
| Custom Events | conversion_custom_event_1 through conversion_custom_event_5 | Up to 5 custom conversion events tracked via Snap Pixel |
| Cost Per Purchase (Swipe) | cost_per_conversion_purchases | Spend ÷ Purchases (swipe-attributed) |
| Cost Per App Install (Swipe) | cost_per_conversion_app_installs | Spend ÷ App Installs (swipe-attributed) |
| Cost Per Sign-Up (Swipe) | cost_per_conversion_sign_ups | Spend ÷ Sign-Ups (swipe-attributed) |
Video Metrics
Video metrics measure how users engage with your video ad content on Snapchat. Since Snapchat is primarily a video-first platform with vertical, full-screen content, these metrics are critical for nearly every campaign type. Use quartile metrics to understand where viewers drop off and optimize your creative accordingly.
| Metric | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Video Views | video_views | Times your video was viewed for at least 2 seconds (or 50% of duration if shorter) |
| Video Views at 25% | quartile_1 | Times your video played through 25% of its total length |
| Video Views at 50% | quartile_2 | Times your video played through 50% of its total length |
| Video Views at 75% | quartile_3 | Times your video played through 75% of its total length |
| Video Completions | video_views_100 | Times your video played to 100% completion |
| Average Screen Time | avg_screen_time_millis | Average time in milliseconds users spent viewing the ad |
| Total Screen Time | screen_time_millis | Cumulative time across all impressions in milliseconds |
| Video Views (15 sec) | video_views_15s | Times your video was viewed for at least 15 seconds |
| Cost Per Video View | ecpv | Effective cost per video view (2-second threshold) |
| Video View Rate | video_view_rate | Percentage of impressions that resulted in a video view |
| Completion Rate | video_completion_rate | Percentage of video views that reached 100% completion |
| Video Plays with Sound | plays_with_sound | Video views where sound was enabled during playback |
AR Lens Metrics
AR Lens ads are a Snapchat-exclusive format that lets users interact with augmented reality experiences. These metrics measure engagement with your branded Lens — from initial opens to shares and saves. High share rates indicate your Lens has viral potential, generating earned media value beyond your paid spend.
| Metric | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lens Plays | total_installs | Number of times users opened and played with your AR Lens |
| Lens Shares | shares | Times users shared a snap created with your Lens to friends or Stories |
| Lens Saves | saves | Times users saved your Lens to their favorites for future use |
| Lens Play Time | total_play_time_millis | Total time users spent interacting with the Lens in milliseconds |
| Average Lens Play Time | avg_play_time_millis | Average time per play session in milliseconds |
| Lens Direct Shares | lens_direct_share_count | Lens snaps sent directly to individual friends |
| Lens Story Shares | lens_story_share_count | Lens snaps posted to the user's Story |
| Lens Impressions | lens_impressions | Total impressions of the Lens including organic views from shares |
| Earned Lens Impressions | earned_impressions | Organic impressions generated from Lens shares (not paid) |
| Lens Unique Views | lens_unique_views | Unique users who viewed content created with your Lens |
Story Ad Metrics
Story Ads appear as branded tiles in Snapchat's Discover section, opening into a sequence of 3-20 snaps. They combine brand storytelling with direct response elements, making them ideal for longer narratives and product showcases. These metrics track both the tile-level performance and the in-story engagement.
| Metric | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tile Impressions | story_opens | Times your Story Ad tile was displayed in Discover |
| Tile Tap Rate | story_open_rate | Percentage of tile impressions that resulted in opening the Story |
| Story Opens | story_opens | Times users tapped the tile to open and view the Story |
| Story Completions | story_completes | Times users viewed all snaps in the Story from start to finish |
| Story Completion Rate | story_completion_rate | Percentage of Story opens that resulted in full completion |
| Average Screen Time (Story) | avg_screen_time_millis | Average time spent viewing the Story Ad across all snaps |
| Attachment Swipe-Ups | attachment_total_swipe_ups | Swipe-ups on individual snaps within the Story |
| Drop-Off Rate Per Snap | snap_drop_off_rate | Percentage of users who stopped viewing at each snap in the sequence |
Audience Breakdown Dimensions
Breakdown dimensions let you segment any metric by user characteristics, device properties, and geographic location. These are essential for understanding which audience segments drive the best performance and for informing targeting adjustments across your ad squads.
Demographic Breakdowns
| Breakdown | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Age | age_bucket | Age range: 13-17, 18-20, 21-24, 25-34, 35-49, 50+ |
| Gender | gender | MALE, FEMALE, or UNKNOWN |
| Country | country | Country by ISO code (US, GB, FR, etc.) |
| Region | region | State, province, or geographic region |
| Metro (DMA) | metro | Designated Market Area for US audiences |
| Language | language | User's device language setting |
Device and Platform Breakdowns
| Breakdown | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | os_type | iOS or Android |
| Device Make | device_make | Device manufacturer (Apple, Samsung, Google, etc.) |
| Device Model | device_model | Specific device model (iPhone 15, Galaxy S24, Pixel 9, etc.) |
| Connection Type | connection_type | Network connection: WIFI, CELLULAR, or UNKNOWN |
| Carrier | carrier | Mobile carrier (T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, etc.) |
Placement Breakdowns
| Breakdown | API Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Placement | placement_v2 | Where the ad was shown: INTERSTITIAL, STORIES, DISCOVER, SPOTLIGHT, CAMERA |
| Content Category | content_type | Category of content the ad appeared alongside |
Optimization Tips for Snapchat Ads Metrics
Knowing which metrics to focus on at each stage of the funnel separates effective Snapchat advertisers from those drowning in data. Here's a practical framework for selecting the right metrics based on your campaign goals.
For awareness campaigns
Focus on uniques (reach), frequency, eCPM, and earned reach. Keep frequency below 4 for cold audiences to prevent fatigue. Earned reach indicates your creative has organic sharing potential — if earned reach exceeds 10% of paid reach, your content resonates naturally with the Snapchat audience.
For consideration and traffic campaigns
Prioritize swipe-up rate and eCPSU (cost per swipe-up). A healthy swipe-up rate on Snapchat is 0.35-0.50% — above 0.50% is excellent. Compare swipe-up rates across ad squads to identify which targeting and creative combinations drive the highest engagement. Use page views to verify users actually load your landing page after swiping up.
For conversion campaigns
Track ROAS (both swipe and view), cost per purchase, and the conversion funnel metrics (page view → view content → add to cart → checkout → purchase). Always analyze swipe-up and view-through conversions separately — view-through conversions may inflate results if your attribution window is wide. Start with 7-day swipe / 1-day view and adjust based on your sales cycle.
For video campaigns
Use the quartile progression (25% → 50% → 75% → 100%) to identify drop-off points. If there's a steep drop between the 2-second view and 25% mark, your opening hook isn't strong enough. Monitor average screen time to compare creative effectiveness across ads. For 6-second Commercials, completion rate above 85% is the target; for longer Snap Ads, above 15% is solid.
For AR Lens campaigns
Evaluate Lens plays, average play time, and share rate (shares ÷ plays). A share rate above 3% signals strong viral potential. Track earned impressions separately — they represent free media value generated by users sharing your Lens. Calculate your effective CPM including earned impressions: Spend ÷ (Paid Impressions + Earned Impressions) × 1,000.
For Story Ads
Monitor tile tap rate (Story opens ÷ tile impressions) and completion rate. A tile tap rate above 1% is strong. If completion rate is below 30%, consider shortening your Story or improving the narrative pacing. Analyze drop-off rates per snap to identify which snaps cause users to exit — remove or restructure weak snaps to maintain attention through the full sequence.
What Changed in 2024-2026: Updates and Deprecations
Snapchat has evolved its measurement capabilities significantly over the past two years. Understanding these changes is essential for anyone migrating dashboards or comparing historical performance.
Conversions API (CAPI) expansion in 2025
Snapchat expanded its server-side Conversions API to support all standard events with deduplication against Snap Pixel events. Advertisers implementing both Pixel and CAPI see 15-25% more attributed conversions due to better coverage of iOS users and cross-device journeys. CAPI events now support advanced matching with hashed email and phone parameters.
Spotlight Ads launch
Spotlight Ads became available in 2024, adding a new placement in Snapchat's short-form video feed. This placement carries its own metrics including Spotlight impressions, engagement rate, and completion rate. Spotlight Ads tend to have higher completion rates (20-30%) compared to standard interstitial placements due to the lean-forward content consumption behavior.
Privacy-related changes
With iOS 14.5+ adoption continuing to grow, Snapchat's modeled conversions now represent a larger portion of reported results. The modeled flag on conversion metrics indicates whether the data is directly observed or statistically estimated. Snapchat also introduced advanced conversion tracking that combines first-party data signals with privacy-preserving statistical methods.
Attribution model updates
In early 2026, Snapchat updated its default attribution to use a more conservative model that better deduplicates across touchpoints. The new model reduces over-counting when users see ads across multiple ad squads within the same campaign. Historical comparisons should account for this change if you see sudden metric shifts.
Common Mistakes When Analyzing Snapchat Ads Data
Even experienced advertisers make these errors when working with Snapchat Ads metrics. Avoiding them leads to more accurate analyses and better optimization decisions.
1. Confusing swipe-ups with website visits
A swipe-up indicates the user initiated the action, but not all swipe-ups result in a fully loaded landing page. Page view events (tracked by Snap Pixel) give you the actual count of loaded pages. The ratio of page views to swipe-ups reveals your landing page load rate — if it's below 60%, optimize your page speed.
2. Ignoring microcurrency in the API
The Snapchat Marketing API returns spend and bid values in microcurrency — multiply the raw value by 0.000001 (or divide by 1,000,000) to get actual currency amounts. Forgetting this conversion leads to wildly incorrect cost metrics and ROAS calculations.
3. Combining swipe and view conversions without context
Swipe-up conversions (user engaged with the ad) and view-through conversions (user only saw the ad) represent fundamentally different attribution strengths. Reporting them as a single number inflates your perceived performance. Always segment by attribution type to understand true campaign effectiveness.
4. Summing reach across time periods
Like other platforms, Snapchat's uniques metric is deduplicated — the same user seeing your ad in January and February counts as 1 unique for the full period but 1 unique in each month separately. Always query uniques for the full date range you want to measure instead of summing monthly numbers.
5. Overlooking earned media from AR Lenses
When evaluating AR Lens campaigns, many advertisers only look at paid impressions and ignore earned impressions from user shares. Earned media can multiply your effective reach by 2-5x for successful Lenses. Factor earned impressions into your effective CPM calculation for a true picture of campaign efficiency.
6. Not adjusting for Spotlight vs. interstitial placement differences
Spotlight placements have different engagement patterns than standard interstitial or Stories placements. Completion rates, swipe-up rates, and conversion rates all vary significantly by placement. Always break down metrics by placement_v2 before drawing conclusions about creative performance.
