End Screen CTR: Are Viewers Binging You?

Why Your End Screen CTR Actually Matters

End Screens feel like a tiny detail, especially if you're focused on hooks, watch time, and thumbnails.

But your End Screen click-through rate (CTR) is one of the cleanest signals of a bingeable channel.

If people finish a video and click another one of yours:

You keep them in your ecosystem
You train the algorithm that your content keeps viewers on the platform
You stack more watch time and session time
You turn random viewers into actual fans

If they reach the end and bounce, you lose all that momentum.

So the question is simple: are your End Screens sending people deeper into your content, or sending them away?

Let’s break down how to read that metric and how to improve it, especially if you’re creating Shorts, Reels, and vertical content for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

What Is End Screen CTR?

On YouTube, your End Screen CTR is the percentage of viewers who:

Reach the End Screen area of your video
Click something on it
Preferably click another one of your videos or playlists

For example:

10,000 people watch your Short
1,200 people reach the last few seconds where your End Screen appears
180 people click one of your End Screen elements

End Screen CTR = 180 ÷ 1,200 = 15%

That 15% is telling you:

Your End Screen design and timing work
Your next video suggestion is relevant enough
Viewers still have energy and interest after that video

When that number is low, it usually means:

Your End Screen shows up too late or too briefly
What you’re promoting doesn’t match what they just watched
Your video ends in a confusing or unsatisfying way

Where To Find End Screen CTR On YouTube

YouTube gives you End Screen data inside Analytics. It’s a bit hidden, but once you know where to look, it becomes a handy growth lever.

Step-by-step on Desktop

Go to YouTube Studio
Open Content
Click a specific video
Click Analytics
Go to the Engagement tab
Scroll down to End screen element click rate

You’ll see:

The percentage of viewers who clicked an End Screen element
Which elements performed best (video, playlist, subscribe button, etc.)

Why this matters for Shorts

End Screen analytics are more limited for Shorts, and End Screens display differently compared to regular horizontal videos. But the same idea holds:

If people watch one Short and then watch several more of yours in a row, that is effectively an End Screen “signal”
You want your content structured so that each Short naturally leads to another

Even though Shorts don’t use the classic End Screen design like 16:9 videos, you should still think in terms of End Screen behavior:

“I just finished this video. Do I feel an urge to watch the next one from this creator?”

What Is A Good End Screen CTR?

There isn’t one magic benchmark that fits every niche, but some rough ranges help:

Under 3%: Weak. Viewers are finishing but not curious about more.
3% to 7%: Decent. You’re in a normal range. Plenty of room to grow.
7% to 15%: Strong. Viewers are binging more often.
15% and above: Excellent. Your content is very binge-friendly.

Don’t obsess over hitting a specific number. Pay more attention to direction:

Is your average End Screen CTR improving over the last 30 to 90 days?
Which videos have the highest End Screen CTR? What do they have in common?
Which ones tank it? What’s different about them?

Your goal is simple: move more videos into that “strong” group over time.

Are People Binging Your Channel? How To Read The Signals

End Screen CTR is one angle, but binging behavior shows up in a few places. Together, they give you a real answer.

1. End Screen CTR

High CTR: People often want another hit of your content right away
Low CTR: They feel “done” after one video, or the next suggestion feels random

2. “Key Moments” And Retention Graph

Look at your audience retention graphs:

Do people make it to the last 5 to 10 seconds often enough?
Is there a sharp drop when you hint the video is “over”?

If everyone bails the moment you say “that’s it” or “thanks for watching”, they never even see the End Screen.

3. Views Per Viewer

In YouTube Studio, under Audience, check Average views per viewer.

If that number is climbing, or consistently above 2 or 3, people are more likely binging your channel over time
If it’s low and flat, you might have single-hit videos, not a bingeable catalog

4. Traffic From “Suggested Videos” And “Your Content”

When your own videos suggest each other:

You’ll see more traffic coming from “Suggested videos” that are your own content
Viewers are entering through one video and discovering others

If your views are mostly from search or external, with low cross-video traffic, your channel binge factor is weaker.

7 Ways To Increase Your End Screen CTR

You don’t fix End Screen CTR by only tweaking the End Screen. You fix it by engineering the path from one video to the next.

Here are practical moves you can make.

1. End With A “Next Step” Hook

Treat the end of your video like a cliffhanger that points to a solution in the next video.

Example in a Shorts context:

“That’s how you double your hook retention. In the next Short, I’ll show you the exact script I use. It’s right here.”
“You’ve seen how to shoot this on your phone. Tap this one if you want the editing breakdown.”

You’re not just saying “watch another video”. You’re giving a clear, self-serving reason.

Action tip:
Write your final line before you film. Bake the “next step” into your script or mental outline.

2. Match The End Screen To The Video Topic

Random “Best for viewer” suggestions aren’t always the best move, especially if your catalog is mixed.

Instead:

Link to a directly related video
Or link to a playlist that continues the topic

Examples:

Fitness Short about abs → link to “7 day ab routine” playlist
Etsy tutorials → link to “Pricing your products” right after a “how to list your first product” Short
ShortsFire growth tip → link to “Full Shorts strategy playlist”

Action tip:
For your top performing videos, manually set the End Screen to a specific next video instead of the default recommendation.

3. Don’t Signal “The Video Is Over” Too Early

The moment you say things like:

“So yeah, that’s it”
“Thanks for watching”
“Anyway, I hope this helps”

Viewers feel like they’ve got what they came for and swipe away.

Instead:

Keep talking with energy right through the final second
Use your last sentence to point to the next action or next video
Avoid long, slow goodbyes or credits

Action tip:
Watch your retention graph around the last 10 seconds. If there is a sharp drop before the End Screen, rewrite your outro.

4. Use Visual Cues That Point To The Next Video

For vertical content, your face and hands are part of the UI.

Simple but effective:

Look toward where the End Screen element appears
Point with your finger to the top right or top left corner
Use short on-screen text that says “Watch this next” with an arrow

This helps viewers recognize that the suggested video is not a random platform suggestion. It’s part of your planned path.

Action tip:
Record a reusable 1-second ending clip of you pointing where your next video appears. Drop that snippet into relevant Shorts to keep things consistent.

5. Group Your Content For Binge Sessions

One-off topics make it harder to binge. Series make it easy.

Examples:

“Shorts Growth In 7 Days” playlist
“30 Days of 30-Second Recipes”
“Beginner’s Guide To Crypto in 10 Shorts”

Then:

Start each video in the series with a clear frame: “Part 3 of 7”
End each one by pointing to either the next part or the full playlist

Action tip:
Pick one strong theme on your channel and plan a 5 to 10 video mini-series around it. Use that series to train viewers to watch multiple videos in a row.

6. Trim The Fluff To Get More People To The End

You can’t have End Screen clicks if viewers never get there.

Cut:

Repeated points
Overlong intros
Tangents that don’t move the story or tutorial forward

Short-form content especially rewards density. If you can communicate the same value in 20 seconds instead of 40, you’ll keep more people locked in until the end.

Action tip:
For your next 5 uploads, ask: “Can I remove 15 percent of this without losing meaning?” Then compare retention and End Screen CTR.

7. Study Your Top End Screen Performers

In Analytics, sort your videos by:

Highest End Screen element click rate
Or highest “views per viewer”

Then ask:

What topic was this about?
How did I end the video?
What type of video did I link to? Single video or playlist?
Did I use a clear “next step” line?

You’ll almost always see patterns: certain formats, hooks, or endings just set up the next video better.

Action tip:
Pick your top 3 videos by End Screen CTR and build “sequels” that continue those topics. Give viewers more of what they already raised their hand for.

How ShortsFire Fits Into This

ShortsFire is built for creators who want their vertical content to chain together instead of just spike once.

When you’re planning batches of Shorts, Reels, or TikToks inside a system like ShortsFire:

Map out mini-series, not just isolated videos
Decide ahead of time which Short naturally promotes which next Short
Script or outline your final line to seed that next tap or swipe

You’re not relying on luck. You’re engineering binge behavior.

Final Thoughts

End Screen CTR is not just a vanity metric. It’s a window into a bigger question:

“Do viewers want one video from me, or many?”

If you:

Watch your End Screen click-through rate
Make your endings point to a clear, relevant next step
Group your content so people can binge without thinking

You give the algorithm strong reasons to keep spreading your content, and you make it easy for real humans to stick around.

That combination is where real channel growth lives.