Link clicks are the clicks on your ad that try to take someone somewhere: your product page, an app store listing, a Messenger or WhatsApp chat, or an Instant Experience. They are a narrower and more useful number than Clicks (all), which also counts reactions, comments, shares, profile taps and taps to see more text.
Link clicks vs clicks (all) vs outbound clicks
| Metric | What it counts | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks (all) | Every click or tap on the ad, including engagement and profile taps | Rarely useful for sales decisions |
| Link clicks | Clicks on links to destinations on or off Meta | Ad-level click interest, CPC and CTR |
| Outbound clicks | Link clicks that take people off Meta's apps, for example to your website | Traffic to your store |
| Landing page views | Link clicks where the destination page actually loaded | The truest measure of visits |
For an online store, the numbers usually fall in that order from top to bottom. A big gap between link clicks and landing page views often points to a slow page or accidental taps, not a weak ad.
How link clicks feed other metrics
Link clicks sit underneath two of the most quoted numbers in Ads Manager. Link CTR is link clicks divided by impressions, and CPC is spend divided by link clicks. Your conversion rate is usually calculated as purchases per link click. If you mix up clicks (all) and link clicks, every one of those ratios is wrong.
At the time of writing, Meta's click-through attribution also uses link clicks. In 2026 Meta moved conversions after non-link interactions, such as a like or a save, into a separate engage-through window, so a purchase now counts as click-through only when it follows a link click. Check your account's attribution setting before comparing older reports with newer ones.
Worked example
Example: an ad gets 80,000 impressions, 2,600 clicks (all) and 1,200 link clicks on ₹9,600 of spend.
- Link CTR = 1,200 ÷ 80,000 = 1.5%
- CPC (link) = 9,600 ÷ 1,200 = ₹8
- CTR (all) = 2,600 ÷ 80,000 = 3.25%
The 3.25% looks better, but more than half of those clicks never left the ad. The link figures are the ones to judge.
How to get more (useful) link clicks
- Make the first line of copy and the first second of video say why someone should tap.
- Use a call-to-action button that matches the next step, such as Shop now for a product page.
- Show the product and price clearly, so the people who click are the ones ready to look.
- Watch CTR and conversion rate together. Clickbait raises link clicks while sales fall.
You can work out cost per link click, and the clicks a budget should buy, with the CPC calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a link click on Facebook ads?
A link click is a click on a link in the ad that leads to a destination, such as a website, an app store, a messaging chat or an Instant Experience. Reactions, comments, shares, profile taps and taps to expand text are counted in Clicks (all) instead.
Why are my link clicks higher than landing page views?
Some people tap and leave before the page loads, some taps are accidental, and the Meta Pixel can only count a landing page view once it fires on the loaded page. A slow page, redirects or a missing pixel all widen the gap.
Should I optimise my campaign for link clicks?
Usually not if you sell online. Optimising for link clicks makes Meta find people who click, who are often not buyers. Optimise for purchases with the Sales objective and use link clicks as a diagnostic.
What is the difference between link clicks and outbound clicks?
Link clicks include clicks to destinations inside Meta's apps, such as an Instant Experience or a Messenger chat. Outbound clicks only count clicks that take people off Meta's apps, for example to your website or an app store.
