Email Click-Through Rate
Quick definition
Email click-through rate is the percentage of delivered emails that led to at least one click on a link, based on unique clicks.
Formula
Email CTR = Unique Clicks ÷ Emails Delivered × 100
Formula variables
- Unique Clicks
- The number of recipients who clicked at least one link.
- Emails Delivered
- Emails accepted by recipients' mail servers.
Worked example
- Emails delivered
- 10,000
- Unique clicks
- 300
300 ÷ 10,000 × 100
Result: 3%
Three in every 100 delivered emails produced a click. The figures are illustrative, not a benchmark.
How definitions differ
- Unique or total clicks
- Total clicks include repeat clicks and clicks on several links by the same person.
- Delivered or sent
- Unique Clicks ÷ Emails Sent × 100
- Platforms differ on whether the base is delivered or sent emails.
How to interpret it
Email CTR measures how many recipients took an action on the email, so it is more reliable than open rate as a signal of engagement. It covers the whole list, unlike click-to-open rate, which covers only people who opened.
Separate clicks on content links from clicks on unsubscribe or utility links when interpreting.
When it is useful
- Comparing calls to action, layouts and offers.
- Tracking engagement across campaigns.
- Estimating traffic an email will send to a site.
Limitations
- Automated link scanners can register clicks that no person made.
- Platform definitions of a click vary.
- It does not show what happened after the click.
Common mistakes
- Comparing unique-click and total-click rates.
- Treating a click as a conversion.
- Counting unsubscribe-link clicks as engagement.
Related KPIs
Related marketing terms
Related tools
Email Campaign URL Builder
MarketingIt adds campaign parameters to the links in your email so clicks can be grouped by campaign in analytics. It tags links only: it does not track opens or calculate the rate.