Back to Glossary
Metrics & Analytics

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

The percentage of email openers who clicked at least one link in the email.

Definition

Click-through rate (CTR) measures the percentage of people who opened your email and then clicked on at least one link. It is calculated by dividing unique clicks by unique opens and multiplying by 100. CTR specifically measures the effectiveness of your email content at driving action among engaged recipients.

Why It Matters

CTR tells you how well your email content converts interest (opens) into action (clicks). A high open rate with low CTR suggests compelling subject lines but disappointing content. CTR helps you evaluate and optimize the body of your email separately from subject line performance.

How It Works

CTR uses the same tracking mechanisms as click rate, but the calculation focuses on the subset of recipients who opened. If 100 people open your email and 15 click, your CTR is 15%. This is different from click rate, which would divide those 15 clicks by all delivered emails.

Best Practices

  • 1Align your email content with the promise made in the subject line
  • 2Place your primary CTA above the fold
  • 3Use action-oriented button text instead of generic phrases
  • 4Create urgency or scarcity when appropriate and genuine
  • 5Reduce friction by minimizing clicks needed to complete the desired action

Frequently Asked Questions

A good CTR is typically 10-15% of opens. Higher engaged segments might see 20%+, while broader lists might be closer to 8-10%. Compare to your own benchmarks as industry averages vary widely.

Improve CTR by: making CTAs more prominent and compelling, using fewer links to focus attention, ensuring content matches subject line expectations, personalizing content based on subscriber data, and optimizing for mobile reading.