Marketing
CPC Calculator
Cost per click (CPC) measures how much you're paying, on average, for each click on an ad — a core metric for evaluating paid search and social campaigns.
The formula
CPC = total spend ÷ clicks
Worked example
You spend $500 and receive 250 clicks:
CPC = 500 ÷ 250 = $2.00
Frequently asked questions
What is CPC?
CPC (cost per click) is the average amount you pay for each click on an ad. It's calculated by dividing total ad spend by the number of clicks received.
What's a good CPC?
It varies a lot by platform, industry, and keyword competitiveness — some search terms cost cents per click while competitive ones can cost tens of dollars. Compare your CPC against your own historical campaigns or industry benchmarks for the same channel.
How is CPC different from CPM?
CPC charges per individual click, while CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) charges based on how many times an ad is shown, regardless of clicks. A campaign can have a low CPM but a high CPC if few viewers click, or vice versa.