FrameYield’s billable unit is the validated YouTube video thumbnail impression—not a follower, a video view, a copied screenshot or an estimated private share.
The dashboard connects reporting data to the accepted video ID, campaign dates, approved FrameLock version and double-entry settlement trail.
Validated media spend divided by validated thumbnail impressions, multiplied by 1,000.
The report labels each metric by what its source can actually establish.
| Evidence class | Examples | Source | What it supports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform-reported | Thumbnail impressions, thumbnail CTR, video ID, date | Connected YouTube Reporting API reach report | Reach and response on eligible YouTube surfaces |
| FrameLock-verified | Rail size, variant, version, SHA-256, approvals, comparison | FrameYield creative records and signed asset checks | Which approved creative was intended and observed |
| Ledger-verified | Reserved budget, settlement, creator payable, platform share, refund state | Webhook-backed double-entry ledger | How validated media value moved financially |
| Attributed | Aggregate description-link redirects, code uses, brand conversions | FrameYield response link or separately agreed brand signal | Observed response associated with the placement; not thumbnail clicks or automatic causality |
| Modelled / studied | Incremental sales, brand lift, recall | Brand or measurement partner methodology | Only the conclusions supported by that study design |
A registered display of a video thumbnail on an eligible YouTube surface. YouTube says the thumbnail must be visible for more than one second with at least 50% on screen.
FrameYield imports video_thumbnail_impressions for the connected channel and accepted video ID. The platform definition controls; FrameYield does not add external previews or private shares.
The percentage of registered thumbnail impressions that resulted in a click to watch the video, supplied as video_thumbnail_impressions_ctr.
CTR is a response signal and a creator guardrail. It is not a purchase conversion rate and is never presented as one.
Imported thumbnail impressions that remain after the placement is matched to the accepted long-form video ID, active dates, approved frame, disclosure attestations and invalid-activity review.
Only this value enters the media-spend formula.
validated impressions ÷ 1,000 × accepted vCPM, limited by the offer cap and available reserved campaign balance.
The creator share is 80% of this validated gross media spend. FrameYield’s platform share is 20% before separately disclosed taxes or processing treatment.
total validated media spend ÷ total validated impressions × 1,000 across the selected campaign or date range.
A planning vCPM is a forecast input. A blended vCPM is calculated from settled or currently validated delivery and can change while data remains open.
When a reviewed campaign has an HTTPS destination, FrameYield gives each placement a separate /r/placement-id link for the video description or pinned comment. The redirect adds campaign attribution parameters and increments an aggregate daily count without storing an IP address, cookie or user-agent fingerprint.
The thumbnail itself is not clickable. A redirect is therefore an observed description-link response, not a thumbnail click, unique visitor, verified conversion or causal sale.
A brand-defined event associated with a separately agreed signal such as a code or brand event feed. The evidence source and attribution window appear beside the number.
Thumbnail-only campaigns do not silently acquire conversion claims. Zero integration signals means conversion remains unknown, not zero.
An optional, separate handoff can let a creator share video-level brand-partner access so the brand can use its own Google Ads account and budget to run Creator Partnerships Boost.
Paid impressions, clicks and conversions belong to the Google Ads campaign. They do not become organic FrameYield thumbnail delivery, and Google does not pay FrameYield creators for the organic sponsor rail.
Primary source: Google’s current YouTube Reporting API reach-metric definitions and YouTube Help description of counted and excluded thumbnail impressions. The Reporting API added channel reach reports in January 2026.
No. An impression records an eligible display of the thumbnail on supported YouTube surfaces. CTR expresses how often an impression led to a view. FrameYield keeps impressions, views and attributed conversions separate.
No. YouTube excludes external websites and apps from its registered thumbnail impressions, and FrameYield never estimates private-chat exposure for billing.
Yes. FrameLock records the brand variant, rail size, asset hash, final 1280×720 version, approvals and published-thumbnail comparison. A recompressed platform image may require human review instead of an exact file-hash match.
It gives reporting time to arrive and lets FrameYield reconcile placement dates, accepted video IDs, creative state, invalid activity, funding and disputes before settlement.
No. Brand lift, incremental sales and causal conversion require a suitable study design or the brand’s own measurement partner. FrameYield reports those only when a separate method and evidence source have been agreed.
No. Google Ads is advertiser-funded media. An optional Creator Partnerships Boost can promote the creator’s video after video-level brand-partner access, but it is separate from FrameYield’s organic thumbnail placement, budget and settlement.
FrameYield is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube or Google. “YouTube” is used descriptively. Read the privacy notice for OAuth, reporting-data retention and deletion controls.
A pilot brief defines the business objective, verified delivery metrics, optional attribution signals and claims FrameYield will not make. Applying does not activate billing.
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