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Metrics & Analytics

CTR(Click-Through Rate)

The percentage of email recipients who click on one or more links in your email.

Definition

Click-Through Rate (CTR) measures the percentage of email recipients who click on at least one link in your email. It is calculated as (unique clicks / emails delivered) × 100. CTR indicates how engaging and relevant your email content is - it shows that recipients not only opened your email but were motivated to take action.

Why It Matters

CTR is often more valuable than open rate because it measures actual engagement. Opens can be passive; clicks show intent. CTR correlates with conversions and revenue. Tracking CTR helps you understand which content, offers, and CTAs resonate with your audience.

How It Works

Email platforms track clicks by routing links through tracking servers. When a recipient clicks a link, the tracking server records the click and redirects to the destination. Unique CTR counts each recipient once regardless of how many times they click; total CTR counts all clicks. Most marketers focus on unique CTR.

Example

Calculating and interpreting CTR:

Campaign stats: - 10,000 emails delivered - 2,500 unique opens (25% open rate) - 400 unique clicks

CTR = (400 / 10,000) × 100 = 4% CTR

Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR) = (400 / 2,500) × 100 = 16%

The 4% CTR tells you overall email effectiveness. The 16% CTOR tells you how well the content performs for those who opened.

Best Practices

  • 1Use clear, compelling call-to-action buttons
  • 2Place primary CTA above the fold
  • 3Test different CTA copy, colors, and placement
  • 4Ensure links are relevant and valuable to the recipient
  • 5Track CTR by segment to identify what works for different audiences

Frequently Asked Questions

Average email CTR is 2-3% across industries. Above 4% is good; above 6% is excellent. However, benchmarks vary significantly by industry, email type, and audience. Compare against your own historical performance.

CTR = clicks / delivered emails. CTOR (click-to-open rate) = clicks / opens. CTR measures overall campaign effectiveness. CTOR measures how well your content performs for those who opened. Both are useful for different insights.