Your Stats page shows you how your stories are performing. Here's what each number means and how to use them.

A read is a measure of genuine engagement - not just a click, but someone who actually spent time with your story. Vocal's algorithm weighs time on page, scroll depth, and interaction with embedded content. Bounces, refreshes, and bot traffic don't count.

This is the most important metric on the page. It tells you how many people actually read what you wrote.

If you have a Vocal+ membership, this shows how much you've earned from reads. Read earnings are exclusive to Vocal+; free accounts can track reads but don't earn from them. Earnings update as reads are processed, which can take 24-48 hours after the read happens.

The total amount tipped to you across your stories and profile, before the processing fee is deducted.

Clicking into an individual story shows you its performance in isolation - reads, tips, and engagement over time. This is where you figure out which stories resonate and what topics your audience actually cares about.

Your stats don't show you who specifically is reading your stories - names, accounts, or demographics aren't visible. Vocal protects reader privacy, so the data you see is aggregate.

Stats also don't show click-through rates from external links you've embedded, or how readers found your story (search vs. community page vs. social media).

Don't judge a story by its first week. Most stories have a spike at publication followed by a drop, then settle into a slow but steady trickle of reads from search and community discovery. The total cumulative reads across your whole catalog is more meaningful than any single story's week-over-week performance.

Stories that keep earning reads months after publishing are your best performers - they're ranking in search and being found by readers who weren't around when you published. More of those is the goal.

Stats refresh every 24-48 hours. If you just shared a story or just published one, your numbers may not reflect recent activity yet. Check back the following day before drawing any conclusions.