What is Click-Through Rate?
Click-through rate (CTR) is an email metric measuring the percentage of recipients who clicked a link in your email, providing a more reliable engagement signal than open rates.
Click-through rate (CTR) measures what percentage of email recipients clicked at least one link in your message. It's calculated as: (Unique Clicks ÷ Emails Delivered) × 100.
Some organizations calculate CTR differently, using opens as the denominator: (Clicks ÷ Opens) × 100. This is sometimes called "click-to-open rate" (CTOR) and measures engagement among people who actually viewed the email.
Unlike open tracking (which relies on easily-blocked pixels), click tracking works by redirecting links through a tracking server before sending users to the destination. This makes click tracking more reliable than open tracking, though some privacy-focused users use link preview tools that can trigger false clicks.
Why Click-Through Rate Matters
Click-through rate is a stronger engagement signal than open rate because it requires deliberate action. For transactional emails, clicks indicate users are engaging with your content—clicking the password reset link, viewing their order, or accessing their account. High CTR correlates with email relevance and clear calls-to-action.
How Ark Handles Click-Through Rate
Ark provides click tracking automatically. We track when links are clicked and surface this data in your dashboard and via webhooks. You can enable or disable tracking per email, and we support custom link wrapping domains to maintain your brand in URLs. Click events include timestamp and link information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's a good click-through rate for email?
Marketing email averages 2-5% CTR. Transactional emails typically see much higher rates (20%+) because they contain actionable content users expect. Compare against your own benchmarks rather than industry averages.
What's the difference between CTR and CTOR?
CTR = clicks ÷ delivered (measures overall campaign engagement). CTOR = clicks ÷ opens (measures engagement among openers). CTOR is higher but less meaningful given unreliable open tracking.
Can click tracking be blocked?
It's harder to block than pixel tracking, but privacy tools exist that warn users about tracked links or strip tracking parameters. Some users copy-paste URLs to avoid tracking. However, this is far less common than image blocking.
How do I improve click-through rates?
Use clear, prominent calls-to-action. Make links look clickable. Ensure content above the fold drives action. A/B test link placement, button colors, and CTA copy. For transactional emails, make the primary action obvious.
Related Terms
Open Rate
Open rate is an email metric showing the percentage of delivered emails that recipients opened, typi...
Tracking Pixel
A tracking pixel is a tiny, invisible image embedded in emails that records when recipients open the...
Email Deliverability
Email deliverability is the ability to successfully deliver emails to recipients' inboxes rather tha...
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