LinkedIn rolled out version 202601 of their Marketing API in January, and for anyone running video ads or LinkedIn Live events, this update actually matters. You can finally track how long people watch your videos, not just whether they scrolled past them.

The new API adds EventWatchTime and VideoWatchTime metrics with engagement thresholds at 15 seconds, 30 seconds, and 2 minutes. And if you're still using version 202502, you've got until February 16, 2026 to migrate. That's two weeks from today.

What's New in LinkedIn API 202601?

LinkedIn's 202601 version introduces two metric groups through the /adAnalytics endpoint, according to their official documentation:

For LinkedIn Events (Live events, webinars):
‍

• eventViews
• eventWatchTime (total seconds watched)
• averageEventWatchTime
• costPerEventView
• Thresholded versions for 15s, 30s, and 2-minute watch durations

For Sponsored Video Ads:
‍

• videoWatchTime
• averageVideoWatchTime

Before this, you could see impressions and clicks. Now you can see if people actually watched past the first few seconds. A 30-second view means something different than a 2-second scroll-by, especially with LinkedIn's premium ad costs.

Why Video Watch Duration Matters More Than Impressions

Your campaign dashboard might show 10,000 impressions and a 5% CTR on your product demo video. Looks decent. But the new LinkedIn video metrics could reveal that only 1,200 people (12%) watched past 15 seconds, and just 300 (3%) made it to 2 minutes. Average watch time: 8 seconds.

That tells you the hook isn't working. Maybe your value prop appears too late in the video, or the first frame doesn't grab attention. You can test this now instead of guessing why your video campaigns aren't converting.

The thresholded metrics help you segment audiences by engagement depth. Someone who watched 2+ minutes of your demo is probably worth retargeting with a case study. Someone who bailed at 5 seconds? Different audience, different message, or skip them entirely.

How to Access the New LinkedIn Video Metrics

Update your LinkedIn Marketing API version header to 202601:

GET https://api.linkedin.com/rest/adAnalytics
Headers:
  LinkedIn-Version: 202601
  Authorization: Bearer {YOUR_TOKEN}

Add the new metrics to your fields parameter:

fields=impressions,clicks,videoWatchTime,averageVideoWatchTime,eventViews,eventWatchTimeOver30Seconds

The API returns watch time in seconds, so if you see `videoWatchTime: 145800`, that's 40.5 hours of total viewing time across all impressions.


For thresholded data, request specific metrics like `eventWatchTimeOver15Seconds` or `eventViewsOver2Minutes` to track LinkedIn video engagement at different depth levels.

API Version Comparison: What You're Missing

Version 202501 was sunset on January 15, 2026. Version 202502 sunsets February 16, that's the deadline that matters if you haven't updated yet.

The February 16 Sunset Deadline

LinkedIn's API versioning follows a 12-month support window. After sunset, your API calls stop working. Not "might stop," they return errors and your dashboards break.

Current sunset schedule:

• 202501: January 15, 2026 (done)
• 202502: February 16, 2026 (two weeks away)
• 202503: March 16, 2026
  ‍

If you're using 202502 in your reporting stack, manual API scripts, or data connectors, check before February 16. Most commercial platforms update automatically, but custom implementations need manual updates.

Practical Applications for LinkedIn Video Ad Tracking

Calculate completion rates by threshold:

30-second completion rate = eventViewsOver30Seconds / eventViews × 100

‍This tells you what percentage of viewers stick around past the intro. Track this across different video lengths to find your audience's actual attention span, not what you think it should be.

Segment retargeting by engagement:
‍

• 2+ minute viewers: product demo retargeting
• 30-60 second viewers: case study content
• <15 second viewers: exclude from retargeting budget

Measure event ROI beyond registrations: Registration numbers don't tell you who actually showed up and engaged. The new metrics show you who registered, who watched 30+ seconds (showed up), who watched 2+ minutes (stayed engaged), and where drop-off happens.

A/B test video hooks: Run two versions of your video with different opening hooks. Track how many viewers drop before 15 seconds on each version. The one that holds attention past 15 seconds wins, regardless of which one "looks" better.

Common Migration Issues

"New metrics return null"
You're querying dates before January 2026. The new metrics only apply to data from January 1, 2026 forward. Historical data wasn't backfilled.

‍

"API returns 400 error after version update"
Check which pivots you're using. Some metrics aren't available with certain pivot combinations. The official metrics documentation lists which metrics work with which pivots.

‍

"Watch time seems wrong"
videoWatchTime is cumulative across all viewers, not average per viewer. Use averageVideoWatchTime for per-viewer metrics, or calculate it yourself: total watch time divided by impressions.

What to Do Before February 16

Check which API version you're using. If it's 202502 or earlier, update the version header to 202601, test your queries on the last 7 days of data, and verify the new metrics come through.

If you're comparing LinkedIn video metrics alongside Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok in one dashboard, each platform measures watch time differently. Cross-platform video attribution gets messy fast. Here's how to handle it.

The new video watch metrics give you much better signal on what's actually working. The February 16 deadline is real. If you're on 202502, migrate this week.

FAQ

Do the new metrics work with all LinkedIn ad formats?
EventWatchTime works with LinkedIn Events (Live and external events). VideoWatchTime works with Sponsored Video ads. Image ads, carousel ads, and text ads don't support these metrics.

‍

Will historical data be updated?
No. Only tracks from January 2026 forward.

‍

What happens if I don't migrate before February 16?
Your API calls using version 202502 will return errors after February 16. Automated reports and dashboards will break until you update to 202601 or later.

‍

Can I track video engagement on LinkedIn Audience Network?
Yes, the video watch metrics work for ads on both LinkedIn.com and LinkedIn Audience Network placements.

‍

How do I calculate engagement rate from these metrics?
Use (eventViewsOver30Seconds / impressions) × 100 to get the percentage of impressions that resulted in at least 30 seconds of viewing time.

‍

Are there rate limits?
Same as previous API versions. Check LinkedIn's rate limits documentation for current quotas.