Click-through rate (CTR)
Acquisition metric. How do users find and install the app?
What is click-through rate?
Click-through rate (CTR) is the share of ad impressions that led to a click: clicks divided by impressions, shown as a percentage.
Impression: one showing of an ad on a screen.
IPM: installs per mille: installs for every 1,000 impressions.
How to calculate CTR
CTR = Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100- Clicks
- clicks on the ad, ideally link clicks that lead towards the store
- Impressions
- the number of times the ad was shown
Where definitions differ
| Variant | Formula | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Link CTR | Link clicks ÷ Impressions × 100 | Counts only clicks that leave the ad for the store or app. Meta reports this separately from CTR (all). |
| CTR (all) | All clicks ÷ Impressions × 100 | Includes clicks to expand, like or view the profile, so it is higher than link CTR. |
| IPM (installs per mille) | Installs ÷ Impressions × 1,000 | Skips the click and asks how many installs 1,000 impressions produce; common in gaming. |
CTR calculator
Example inputs: change them to your own numbers. The examples only make the calculator show a worked answer; they are not benchmarks or targets. Runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
- CTR
- 1.5%
- Click-to-install rate
- 20%
- IPM (installs per 1,000 impressions)
- 3
Is a high CTR always good?
No. A high CTR with a low click-to-install rate often means the ad promises something the store page does not deliver, or that many clicks are accidental. Read CTR together with the install and activation rates that follow it.
How CTR differs by vertical
| EdTech | Creative testing metric; outcome-led ads can win CTR but lose on activation. |
|---|---|
| Fintech | Read with care: offers and cashback lift CTR and can bring low-intent users. |
| OTT and streaming | Title-led creatives move CTR a lot; compare within the same title. |
| Gaming | Often replaced or joined by IPM, which joins CTR and store conversion in one number. |
Common mistakes
- Comparing CTR (all) from one platform with link CTR from another.
- Judging creatives on CTR alone without the install and activation rates after the click.
Questions
How do you calculate CTR?
Divide clicks by impressions and multiply by 100. 3k clicks from 200k impressions is a CTR of 1.5%.
What is IPM in mobile advertising?
IPM means installs per mille: installs for every 1,000 impressions. It combines CTR and click-to-install rate in one figure, which is why game studios use it to compare creatives.
Why do CTR figures differ between Meta reports?
Meta reports both CTR (all), which counts every kind of click on the ad, and link click-through rate, which counts only clicks that leave the ad. Link CTR is the one that relates to installs.
What is the difference between a metric and a KPI?
A metric is any measured quantity; a KPI is a metric a team has chosen as a target for judging performance. Most metrics here become KPIs only for the teams whose work moves them.
Do I need an MMP to measure these metrics?
Not for all of them. Engagement and monetisation metrics come from product analytics and billing data, while metrics split by ad channel, such as CPI, ROAS or retention by source, need installs attributed to campaigns.
Are the calculator's example inputs benchmarks?
No. The example inputs only make the calculator show a worked answer when the page loads; they are not typical, good or target values. Replace them with your own numbers.