Click-Through Rate Calculator

Use clicks and impressions to measure the response to an ad, placement, or search result. CTR is most useful when the click definition and the exposure are comparable.

Calculate CTR

CTR = clicks ÷ impressions × 100.

A baseline is optional. Compare the same click definition and placement scope.

Match clicks and impressions

Pull both counts from the same campaign, reporting window, and placement. Use link clicks when the question is whether people visited a destination. Some reports count other interactions as clicks. Keep the report’s click definition beside the rate.

Example: more clicks, worse acquisition

240 clicks on 12,000 impressions produce 2% CTR. A new ad receives 360 clicks on 12,000 impressions, or 3% CTR. If qualified leads fall from 24 to 18 at the same spend, the new ad has better response and worse qualified acquisition cost.

Separate creative changes from distribution changes

Compare CTR within the same placement and device before judging a headline. A shift toward a naturally high-click placement can raise the blended rate even when the headline performs the same. Keep impressions, landing-page activity, and conversions in the same scorecard.

Is there a good CTR benchmark?

Use your own recent results for comparable intent and placement as a starting point. A broad benchmark can hide differences in ad type, audience, and click definition. For a creative test, choose the downstream result you want the extra clicks to produce.