How do you calculate CTR?

Divide the clicks by the impressions and multiply by 100. 1,800 clicks from 200,000 impressions is a CTR of 0.90%.

It depends on the platform, the format and the audience: people searching for something click more often than people scrolling a feed. Compare an ad with your own ads on the same platform and placement, and judge it by the orders it leads to, not by its CTR alone.

Why does Meta show more clicks than link clicks?

Meta's clicks (all) counts every click on the ad: link clicks, but also likes, comments, shares, profile clicks and clicks to expand a photo or video. Its CTR (link click-through rate) divides only link clicks by impressions, and that is the rate to compare with visits to your store.

Why does GA4 show fewer sessions than my ad platform shows clicks?

The platform counts the tap on the ad; GA4 counts a session when your page loads and its tag runs. Slow pages, declined analytics cookies, redirects that drop the tracking tags and repeat clicks inside one visit all widen the gap.

Does a higher CTR lower my CPC?

At the same CPM, yes: CPC equals CPM divided by 1,000 times the CTR. Double the CTR and the same impressions cost half as much per click.

Is CTR the share of people who clicked?

No. Impressions count showings, not people, so CTR is clicks per showing. If each person saw the ad three times, the share of people who clicked is higher than the CTR.

CTR Calculator: Click-Through Rate

Result

Fill in clicks, impressions to see the result.

How it works

Click-through rate is clicks divided by impressions: how often a showing of the ad became a click. Google Ads defines it that way, and so does Meta for its link click-through rate.

Which clicks you count changes the answer. Meta's clicks (all) counts every click on the ad, likes, comments, shares and profile clicks included; link clicks count only clicks that lead to your site. Use link clicks when you compare an ad with what reaches your store.

CTR = clicks ÷ impressions × 100

impressions per click =
  impressions ÷ clicks

CPC = ad spend ÷ clicks
CPM = ad spend ÷ impressions × 1,000

clicks recorded as sessions =
  GA4 sessions from the ads ÷ clicks

What each term means

Clicks: Link clicks for the ads you are measuring. Meta's clicks (all) also counts likes, comments, shares, profile clicks and clicks to expand a photo or video.
Impressions: Showings of the ad, repeats included. One person can make many.
CTR: Clicks per 100 impressions. It measures the ad, not the sale.
Impressions per click: The same rate turned over: how many showings it took to get one click.
Clicks recorded as sessions: GA4 sessions from the same ads as a share of the platform's clicks. Not a standard metric: a check on how many clicks arrive as visits your analytics can see.

Why GA4 shows fewer visits than the platform shows clicks

The platform counts the tap on the ad. GA4 counts a session when your page loads and its tag runs. In between, a slow page loses people, a visitor may decline analytics cookies, a redirect can drop the tracking tags, and a second click inside one visit adds no new session. A gap is normal. A sudden change in it is worth a look, because it can point to a tagging or consent change rather than a change in the ads.

What a CTR can and cannot tell you

A low CTR points at the ad, the audience or the placement. A high CTR with few orders points past the ad, at the landing page or the offer. Neither tells you whether the ad caused the sales that followed.

Worked example

Example numbers, round on purpose. They are not a real store.

Clicks: 1,800
Impressions: 200,000
Ad spend: €2,000
Sessions from these ads in GA4: 1,500

1CTR: 1,800 ÷ 200,000 = 0.90%
2Impressions per click: 200,000 ÷ 1,800 = 111
3CPC: €2,000 ÷ 1,800 = €1.11
4CPM: €2,000 ÷ 200,000 × 1,000 = €10.00
5Clicks recorded as sessions: 1,500 ÷ 1,800 = 83.3%
6Cost per recorded session: €2,000 ÷ 1,500 = €1.33

One click in six never became a visit of its own in GA4. The ads cost €1.11 a click, but €1.33 for each visit your analytics recorded.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate CTR?
Divide the clicks by the impressions and multiply by 100. 1,800 clicks from 200,000 impressions is a CTR of 0.90%.
What is a good CTR?
It depends on the platform, the format and the audience: people searching for something click more often than people scrolling a feed. Compare an ad with your own ads on the same platform and placement, and judge it by the orders it leads to, not by its CTR alone.
Why does Meta show more clicks than link clicks?
Meta's clicks (all) counts every click on the ad: link clicks, but also likes, comments, shares, profile clicks and clicks to expand a photo or video. Its CTR (link click-through rate) divides only link clicks by impressions, and that is the rate to compare with visits to your store.
Why does GA4 show fewer sessions than my ad platform shows clicks?
The platform counts the tap on the ad; GA4 counts a session when your page loads and its tag runs. Slow pages, declined analytics cookies, redirects that drop the tracking tags and repeat clicks inside one visit all widen the gap.
Does a higher CTR lower my CPC?
At the same CPM, yes: CPC equals CPM divided by 1,000 times the CTR. Double the CTR and the same impressions cost half as much per click.
Is CTR the share of people who clicked?
No. Impressions count showings, not people, so CTR is clicks per showing. If each person saw the ad three times, the share of people who clicked is higher than the CTR.

Related terms: click-through rate, impression, session and CPC.

Next: what did those visits lead to?

A click shows interest; the sale is decided later, sometimes after other channels. Your GA4 export already holds how long your buyers take and which channels they touch. First finding free, in your browser; the full read is €99.

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