PaidMathAd metric calculators

CTR Calculator: Click-Through Rate

Click-through rate (CTR) is the share of people who saw your ad and clicked it. Enter your clicks and impressions to get your CTR instantly, then compare it to the benchmarks below. Running two ad variations? The A/B test tab tells you how confident you can be that the difference is real.

CTR

1.5%

How it's calculated

CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100

Divide the number of clicks by the number of impressions and multiply by 100 to get a percentage. Count impressions and clicks over the same period and for the same ad or campaign. The A/B test tab uses a two-proportion z-test to estimate how likely the gap between two CTRs is to be real rather than chance.

Worked example

An ad is shown 10,000 times and gets 150 clicks. CTR = (150 ÷ 10,000) × 100 = 1.5%. If a new headline lifts clicks to 220 on the same impressions, CTR rises to 2.2%, about 47% more traffic for the same media cost. In the A/B test tab, that gap is significant at about 99.98% confidence.

CTR benchmarks by channel

Medians or averages from the published datasets linked in each row. Search CTR is far higher than other channels because people are actively looking, so compare your CTR against the same channel and your own history first.

Sources checked October 2026. Each row links to the study behind it, with its sample and period where the publisher shares them.

CTR benchmarks by channel
ChannelReported CTR
Google Display (last published figure, 2017 to 2018)Source: Digital Applied: Display advertising benchmarks 2026. Cites WordStream 2017 to 2018 data (14,197 US accounts); flagged there as historical, not a current target.0.46%
LinkedIn, B2B
3 sourcesSource: Metadata: LinkedIn ad benchmarks. 138 advertisers, 2025 spend, all campaign goals.Source: ZenABM: LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks. 211 B2B companies, $5.5M spend, published Feb 2026; US medians.Source: HockeyStack: LinkedIn ads benchmarks. 70+ B2B SaaS companies, about $28M spend, published Dec 2025.
0.5% – 1.0%
TikTokSource: Triple Whale: TikTok ads benchmarks. 5,900+ brands, Aug 2025 to Jul 2026.Source: Lebesgue: TikTok ads benchmarks. Ecommerce accounts; sample and period not disclosed.0.61%
Google Ads overallSource: Triple Whale: Google Ads benchmarks. All campaign types, 21,000+ brands, Aug 2025 to Jul 2026.1.65%
Meta (Facebook / Instagram)Source: LocaliQ: Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2026. Medians of 1,892 US social campaigns, Apr 2025 to Jun 2026.Source: Triple Whale: Meta ads benchmarks. Medians across 40,000+ brands, Aug 2025 to Jul 2026.1.9% – 2.7%
Google SearchSource: WordStream by LocaliQ, via Search Engine Journal. Google and Microsoft Ads search campaigns, Apr 2025 to Mar 2026.6.64%

Frequently asked questions

What is a good CTR?

It varies widely. Search ads commonly see several percent because people are actively looking, while display banners often stay below 1%. A good CTR is one that beats your own baseline for that channel and keeps CPC in check.

How do you calculate click-through rate?

Divide clicks by impressions and multiply by 100. 300 clicks on 20,000 impressions is a 1.5% CTR.

How do I know if a CTR difference is real?

Use the A/B test tab. It runs a two-proportion z-test and reports how confident you can be that the two CTRs genuinely differ. Many teams wait for 95% or more before declaring a winner, and avoid stopping a test the moment it first crosses that line. Small impression counts make any result unreliable.

Does a higher CTR lower my CPC?

On auction platforms like Google Ads, a higher CTR usually signals relevance, which can improve quality score and reduce the price you pay per click. The CPC calculator shows what a click costs you today.

How can I improve CTR?

Test stronger headlines and offers, match the ad to the audience and search intent, add extensions or clear calls to action, and refresh creative before it fatigues.

Related calculators