Skip to content
Boostlix

Advertising

CPC Calculator

Calculate cost per click, or solve for the budget or clicks you need. Add impressions to see your click-through rate and CPM as well.

Calculate
$

Adds click-through rate and CPM.

Fill in both fields to calculate.

What CPC measures

Cost per click (CPC) is the average amount you pay each time someone clicks your ad. It is the standard price for search ads and a key efficiency number for social and display campaigns that drive traffic to a website.

The CPC formula

CPC = Ad spend ÷ Clicks

Rearranged to solve for a budget or a click target:

Ad spend = CPC × Clicks

Clicks = Ad spend ÷ CPC

Add impressions and two more figures follow: click-through rate (clicks ÷ impressions) and CPM (spend ÷ impressions × 1,000).

Example

Ad spend
$420
Clicks
350
CPC = 420 ÷ 350
$1.20
Impressions
28,000
CTR = 350 ÷ 28,000
1.25%
CPM = 420 ÷ 28,000 × 1,000
$15.00

What CPC you can afford

The useful question is not whether a CPC is low, but whether it leaves a profit. The most you can pay per click to break even is:

Max CPC = Profit per sale before ads × Conversion rate

Conversion rate as a decimal: 2% = 0.02.

With $45 profit per sale and 2.5% of visitors buying, you can pay up to $1.125 a click before the campaign loses money. Work out profit per sale with the break-even ROAS calculator, which shows it as break-even CPA.

Common mistakes

  • Comparing CPC without conversion rate

    A $3 click that converts at 5% is cheaper per sale ($60) than a $1 click that converts at 1% ($100).

  • Mixing link clicks with all clicks

    Some platforms count every click on an ad, including on the profile or "see more". Use link clicks for traffic campaigns.

  • Averaging away the expensive keywords

    An account-wide CPC can hide a few keywords that cost far more than they return. Check CPC per campaign or keyword.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate cost per click?

Divide total ad spend by the number of clicks. $300 for 150 clicks is a CPC of $2.

What is a good CPC?

One that leaves profit after conversion. If 1 in 50 clicks buys and each sale earns $60 profit before ads, you can pay up to $1.20 per click to break even. Industry averages matter less than your own conversion rate and margin.

How does CTR affect CPC?

On auction platforms, ads with a higher click-through rate are usually rewarded with lower costs. For a fixed CPM, CPC also falls as CTR rises: CPC = CPM ÷ (CTR × 1,000).

Is CPC the same as cost per conversion?

No. CPC is the cost of a visit; cost per conversion (CPA) is the cost of a sale or lead. CPA = CPC ÷ conversion rate.

Last reviewed 2 October 2026. This tool runs in your browser; nothing you enter is stored or sent to Boostlix.