Click-to-open rate
Click-to-open rate (CTOR)
Email Marketing
Click-to-open rate is the share of people who opened an email and then clicked a link in it.
What is Click-to-open rate?
Click rate tells you how many of everyone you emailed clicked. Click-to-open tells you how well the content worked for the people who opened.
Use it to judge the body of the email: the offer, layout and call to action. A good subject line with a weak body shows a high open rate and a low CTOR.
The caveat: because Apple Mail Privacy Protection inflates opens, CTOR is understated for Apple-heavy lists. Compare it against your own past sends.
Formula
Click-to-open rate = Unique clicks ÷ Unique opens × 100
Example
1,000 unique opens and 120 unique clicks is a 12% click-to-open rate.
Why Click-to-open rate Matters
It separates "people didn't open" problems from "the email didn't persuade" problems.
Click-to-open rate FAQ
Is CTOR the same as click rate?
No. Click rate divides clicks by emails delivered; CTOR divides them by opens.
How do I raise CTOR?
One clear call to action near the top, a button rather than a buried link, and an offer that matches the subject line.
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