Calculators / CPC

CPC calculator

Enter what you spent and the clicks it bought. Add your order value, conversion rate and margin to see the most a click is worth to you.

Your numbers

$

For your break-even CPC

$
%
%

Per click

Cost per click
Profit per click
Break-even CPC
Expected orders
Profit after ad spend

The formulas

CPC = ad spend ÷ clicks
Break-even CPC = order value × conversion rate × gross margin
Profit after ads = clicks × (break-even CPC − CPC)

Break-even CPC is the gross profit an average click brings in. It is the most a click can cost before the ads start losing money.

Worked example

A store spends $420 on search ads and gets 1,500 clicks. Orders average $60, 2.5% of clicks buy, and gross margin is 45%.

CPC420 ÷ 1,500 = $0.28
Break-even CPC60 × 0.025 × 0.45 = $0.68
Orders1,500 × 0.025 = 37.5
Profit after ads37.5 × 60 × 0.45 − 420 = $592.50

The store pays 28 cents for clicks worth 68 cents to it. It could bid higher to win more clicks and still make money, as long as the conversion rate holds.

Using break-even CPC

Set bids below it, not at it

Bidding exactly at break-even means working for nothing. Decide the profit you want per order first, and the target CPA calculator turns that into a cost per sale to aim for.

Conversion rate moves everything

Doubling the conversion rate doubles what a click is worth. Faster pages, clearer photos and honest shipping costs often raise the CPC you can afford more than any bidding trick.

Formula and examples last checked October 12, 2026.

Questions people ask

How is cost per click calculated?

Divide what you spent on ads by the number of clicks. $420 of spend for 1,500 clicks is a CPC of $0.28.

What is the most I should pay per click?

Your break-even CPC: average order value × conversion rate × gross margin. It is the click price at which the profit from the sales those clicks bring in exactly covers the ads. Pay less than that to make money. The calculator works it out when you fill in the three optional boxes.

Why is my CPC going up?

More advertisers bidding for the same audience, often around holidays, pushes prices up. A falling click-through rate can raise CPC too, because platforms tend to charge more for ads that fewer people engage with. Check both before cutting the budget.

Is a low CPC always good?

Only if the clicks convert. Cheap clicks from people who never buy cost more per sale than expensive clicks from people who do. Judge campaigns on cost per sale and return on ad spend, with CPC as one input.

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