Choose what you want to find: your cost per click, how many clicks a budget buys, or the budget you need for a click target.
Results are estimates for planning. Check the figures before you make a financial or health decision.
How to calculate cost per click
Divide your ad spend by the number of clicks:
CPC = ad spend รท clicks
To estimate clicks from a budget, divide the budget by your expected CPC. To find the budget for a click target, multiply the clicks you want by the CPC. If you add a conversion rate, the calculator also estimates conversions and the cost of each one.
Worked example
Using the default values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| What do you want to find? | Cost per click |
| Ad spend | 500 |
| Clicks | 400 |
| Cost per click | 1.25 |
| Conversion rate, optional | 3 % |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost per click | 1.25 |
| Ad spend | 500 |
| Clicks | 400 |
| Cost per click | 1.25 |
| Clicks per 100 spent | 80 |
| Estimated conversions | 12 |
| Cost per conversion | 41.67 |
What is a good CPC?
CPC varies enormously by industry, keyword, country and competition. Finance and legal terms can cost many times more per click than everyday retail terms. Rather than chasing a low CPC, compare it with what a click is worth: if your conversion rate and order value make a click profitable, the CPC is good enough.
Tips and common mistakes
Average CPC is not the same as your bid. In auction-based platforms, you usually pay less than your maximum bid, so use your real average from the platform for estimates.
Do not optimise for cheap clicks alone. Cheap clicks from the wrong audience cost nothing in CPC terms but waste money in conversions.
Treat budget estimates as a guide. Competition, seasonality and quality scores change prices from week to week.
Frequently asked questions
What does CPC stand for?
Cost per click: the amount you pay each time someone clicks your ad.
How do I lower my CPC?
Improve ad relevance and landing-page quality, tighten targeting, use negative keywords where they apply and test different placements. Better quality often lowers the price per click.
What is the difference between CPC and CPA?
CPC is the cost of a click. CPA is the cost of a conversion. CPA is CPC divided by conversion rate.
How many clicks will my budget buy?
Divide the budget by your expected CPC. For example, 500 at 1.25 per click buys about 400 clicks.