An ad click is an action where someone clicks, taps or swipes on your ad. In Meta ads, not every click is equal: some take people to your website or app, and others stay on Facebook or Instagram, so Ads Manager reports more than one click count.
Two click counts in Ads Manager
Meta separates clicks into two metrics, and the difference changes every rate built from them.
| Clicks (all) | Link clicks | |
|---|---|---|
| What it counts | Clicks, taps or swipes on your ad | Clicks on links to select destinations or experiences |
| Includes clicks on other parts of the ad | Yes | No |
| Which is larger | Equal or larger | Equal or smaller |
| Rate built from it | CTR (all) | CTR (link click-through rate) |
| Cost built from it | Cost per click (all) | Cost per link click |
Meta describes clicks (all) as "the number of clicks, taps or swipes on your ads". Its page on the difference between the two says link clicks are "clicks on links to select destinations or experiences, on or off Meta technologies", that clicks (all) include "clicks on other parts of your ad", and that "since clicks (all) include link clicks, your reports may show more clicks than link clicks".
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Try for Free ($0 Trial)How clicks feed CTR and CPC
Clicks sit in the middle of two core formulas:
CTR = clicks ÷ impressions
CPC = ad spend ÷ clicks
Click-through rate says how often an ad is clicked per view, and cost per click (CPC) says what each click costs. Both depend on which clicks you put in the formula. Use link clicks on both sides for a clean visits metric, or clicks (all) on both sides for overall engagement. Mixing them gives a number that matches neither report.
What a click does and doesn't tell you
- A click is not a visit. A person can click a link and leave before the page loads, so landing page views can run below link clicks.
- A click is not a result. Purchases, leads and sign-ups are separate metrics counted after the click.
- Not all clicks send traffic. Clicks (all) can be much higher than link clicks, which makes an ad look more engaging than it is at driving visits.
- Accidental taps happen. This is one reason to check what follows the click, not only its count.
How to get more out of ad clicks
- Decide which click matters before comparing ads. For a traffic or sales goal, that is the link click.
- Put the benefit and a clear call to action where the link is, so clicks come from people who want it.
- Check the page after the click. If link clicks are healthy but results are weak, look at page speed and message match.
- Compare cost per click only within the same kind of click, audience and placement.
Example. A dental clinic spends $216 on an ad for teeth whitening. It gets 40,000 impressions, 800 clicks (all) and 480 link clicks. CTR (all) is 800 ÷ 40,000 = 2.0% and link CTR is 480 ÷ 40,000 = 1.2%. Cost per click (all) is $216 ÷ 800 = $0.27, while cost per link click is $216 ÷ 480 = $0.45. The 320 clicks that were not link clicks made the ad look cheaper than it is at sending people to the booking page, so the clinic judges it by the $0.45.
In Madgicx. AI Marketer audits your Meta ad account, shows which ads win clicks and which turn them into results, and prepares changes for you to approve. Reports put your ad metrics side by side in one place.
FAQ
What counts as a click on a Facebook ad?
In Ads Manager, clicks (all) count clicks, taps or swipes on your ad. Link clicks are the subset that goes to a destination such as your website or app.
What is the difference between clicks (all) and link clicks?
Clicks (all) include link clicks plus clicks on other parts of the ad, so clicks (all) is usually the larger number. Link clicks are the better measure of traffic sent to your page.
Which click metric should I use?
Use link clicks for traffic and conversion goals, and clicks (all) when you study how much people interact with the ad. Keep the same one when you compare ads.
Why do my clicks differ from my website visits?
Not every click becomes a visit, because some people leave before the page loads, and tracking can miss some visits. A gap between the two is normal, but a large one is worth investigating.
Is an ad click the same as a conversion?
No. A click is the step before a conversion. A conversion is the action you want after the click, such as a purchase or a lead.
Related
- Related terms: Click-through rate (CTR), Cost per click (CPC), Impressions
- In depth: Deep learning model for click-through rate prediction
Sources
- Know the difference between Clicks (All) and Link Clicks, Meta Business Help Center
- Clicks (All), Meta Business Help Center
