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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryMeasurement & AttributionCost Per Click (CPC)

Measurement & Attribution

Cost Per Click (CPC)

The amount an advertiser pays for each click on an ad.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Cost per click (CPC) is the amount an advertiser pays for each click on an ad. It serves both as a pricing model, common in search and social advertising auctions, and as a metric calculated by dividing total spend by clicks. CPC alone does not show whether clicks lead to valuable outcomes.