Anthony McGrathHow the Meta ads calculator works
On Facebook and Instagram you mostly pay for impressions. The CPM sets how many people see your ads, the click-through rate sets how many click, and your landing page and offer set how many convert.
Impressions = budget ÷ CPM × 1,000
Link clicks = impressions × CTR
Results = link clicks × conversion rate
Cost per result = budget ÷ results
Reach = impressions ÷ frequency
Which number to improve first
Each one multiplies the others. Better creative raises CTR and often lowers CPM; a faster page raises the share of clicks that load; a sharper offer raises conversion rate. Doubling any one of them halves your cost per result.
| Metric | Typical | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| CPM | £5 to £12 | Under £5 |
| Link CTR | 0.8% to 1.5% | 2%+ |
| Conversion rate (ecommerce) | 1% to 3% | 4%+ |
Questions
What is a good CPM on Facebook and Instagram?
In the UK many accounts see £5 to £12 per 1,000 impressions. It rises in November and December and for narrow audiences. Judge CPM together with CTR and cost per result, not on its own.
What is a good CTR for Meta ads?
A link click-through rate of around 1% is normal; 2% or more usually means the creative and audience are working well.
How do I work out cost per result?
Divide what you spent by the number of results. With this calculator you can see how CPM, CTR and conversion rate each change it.
How much should I spend on Meta ads?
Meta suggests enough budget for about 50 results a week per ad set to leave the learning phase. Use the Budget for my results tab to see what that costs at your numbers.
Why do my results in Meta differ from my website?
Browsers and ad blockers stop some conversions being reported. The Conversions API sends them from your server, which makes results and ROAS more accurate.