Click-through rate (CTR)
Click-through rate is the percentage of delivered emails in which the recipient clicked at least one link — the clearest signal of genuine interest, since a click requires deliberate action.
How CTR is calculated
Click-through rate = unique clicks ÷ emails delivered × 100. It counts recipients who clicked any tracked link, out of everyone the message reached. Unlike open rate, a click can't be triggered by an auto-loading pixel, so CTR is a far more trustworthy engagement metric.
CTR vs CTOR
Click-through rate is measured against everyone who received the email. Click-to-open rate (CTOR) is measured only against those who opened it — so CTOR isolates how compelling your content and call-to-action were once the message was seen. Both are useful: CTR reflects overall performance, CTOR reflects message quality.
How to lift click rate
- Lead with one clear, prominent call-to-action rather than many competing links
- Match the content to the segment — relevance drives clicks
- Write link text and buttons that promise a specific, valuable next step
- Keep the message scannable so the CTA is impossible to miss
- Test subject-to-content consistency so opens convert to clicks
Frequently asked questions
What's a good click-through rate?
Commonly a few percent on broadcast campaigns, higher for targeted or transactional mail. Benchmark against your own segments and history rather than a single figure.
CTR or CTOR — which should I optimise?
Use CTOR to judge content and CTA quality independent of deliverability, and CTR to judge overall campaign impact. Improving deliverability lifts CTR; improving copy lifts CTOR.
Why is my open rate high but click rate low?
The subject line is working but the content or offer isn't landing. Sharpen the call-to-action, tighten relevance, and make the next step obvious.
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