Marketing · business glossary
What is CTR (Click-Through Rate)?
By Shivam Bhandari · Reviewed 31 October 2026 · How we write
definition
The percentage of people who saw an ad or link and actually clicked on it.
CTR (click-through rate) explained
Click-through rate is the percentage of people who click on an ad, email link or search result after seeing it.
formula
CTR % = Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100
example
An ad shown 20,000 times with 300 clicks has a CTR of 1.5%.
why it matters
It shows how relevant and appealing your message is. On ad platforms, higher CTR can also lower your costs.
common mistake
Optimising CTR with clickbait that brings visitors who don't buy.
Frequently asked questions
What is CTR (click-through rate)?
The percentage of people who saw an ad or link and actually clicked on it. Click-through rate is the percentage of people who click on an ad, email link or search result after seeing it.
How do you calculate CTR (click-through rate)?
CTR % = Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100. An ad shown 20,000 times with 300 clicks has a CTR of 1.5%.
Why does CTR (click-through rate) matter?
It shows how relevant and appealing your message is. On ad platforms, higher CTR can also lower your costs.
What is a common mistake with CTR (click-through rate)?
Optimising CTR with clickbait that brings visitors who don't buy.
Related terms
Impressions
The number of times an ad or piece of content was displayed, regardless of whether anyone engaged with it.
Conversion rate
The percentage of people who take a desired action (buying, signing up) out of everyone who saw the opportunity to.
A/B testing
Showing two versions of something (an ad, a page, a price) to different groups at the same time to see which performs better.