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Glossary Index

Click-through Rate (CTR)

The percentage of recipients who click links inside an email.

What is Click-through Rate (CTR)?

Click-through rate measures the percentage of recipients who clicked at least one link in your email. Unlike open rates, which can be inflated, CTR represents concrete engagement — people actively taking action after reading your message.

Why it matters

CTR is one of the most important email metrics because it directly correlates to conversions and ROI. If your open rate is strong but CTR is weak, it usually means your content, call-to-action, or offer isn't resonating.

How it works

Email providers track clicks by wrapping your links in tracking URLs. When a user clicks, it records the event and redirects them to the intended destination. CTR can be measured as unique clicks (number of people who clicked) or total clicks (total number of clicks across all links).

Examples

  • A product launch email with a bold "Buy Now" button achieving a 12% CTR.
  • A newsletter with multiple links, where only 2% of recipients clicked anything.
  • A re-engagement campaign where CTR doubled after simplifying the design.

Best practices

  • Use one clear, prominent call-to-action rather than multiple competing links.
  • Make buttons and links mobile-friendly.
  • Personalize offers to increase relevance.
  • Combine CTR data with Open Rate for better insights.

Related terms

Open Rate, Marketing Email

FAQs

What's a healthy CTR?
It varies by industry, but 2-5% is common for marketing emails. Transactional emails often achieve much higher CTRs because users expect them. More important than the absolute number is the trend — if your CTR is dropping, investigate why.

Why is my open rate high but CTR low?
This usually means your subject line was compelling, but your content or CTA wasn't. Maybe the offer wasn't relevant, or the email design distracted from the main action. Improving clarity and focusing on one primary CTA can help.

How can I boost CTR?
Simplify your design, highlight one strong offer, and ensure your CTA is visible without scrolling. A/B test button colors, wording, and placement. Personalizing CTAs based on user behavior (e.g., "Complete your purchase" for cart abandoners) often leads to dramatic improvements.