What is the difference between link clicks and all clicks?
Link clicks count clicks on links that lead to a chosen destination or experience, such as your website, an app store or a lead form. Clicks (all) counts link clicks plus other interactions with the ad, including reactions, comments, shares, Page or profile taps and full-screen media expands, so it is never lower than link clicks.
The two counts answer different questions. Link clicks ask how many times someone tapped through to the place you wanted them to go. Clicks (all) asks how many times someone interacted with the ad in any counted way. One is a traffic measure; the other is closer to an interaction total. When an Ads Manager report and your site analytics disagree, a report built on clicks (all) is an easy first suspect.
What counts as a link click?
Meta defines link clicks as clicks on links to selected destinations or experiences, on or off Meta technologies. Meta’s examples include:
- clicks on an image or call-to-action button in an ad that uses the traffic objective
- clicks on a URL in the ad’s text description
- clicks on formats that open a full-screen experience, such as lead forms, Instant Experiences and collections
- clicks to websites and app stores straight from links in an ad in feed
A tap that opens an Instant Experience is a link click even though the person has not reached your website yet.
What else does clicks (all) include?
Clicks (all) counts many kinds of clicks, taps or swipes on the ad. Besides link clicks, Meta lists:
- clicks to the business’s Page or profile picture
- post reactions, such as likes or loves
- comments and shares
- clicks that expand media, such as photos, to full screen
- clicks on the action chosen as the campaign objective, such as liking a Page in a Page engagement campaign
Meta’s summary: because clicks (all) include link clicks, your reports may show more clicks than link clicks.
How do the two metrics compare?
| Interaction | Counted as a link click | Counted in clicks (all) |
|---|---|---|
| Shop now button that opens your website | Yes | Yes |
| Tap that opens a lead form or Instant Experience | Yes | Yes |
| Tap on the Page name or profile picture | No | Yes |
| Like, love, comment or share | No | Yes |
| Expanding a photo or video to full screen | No | Yes |
Which rates and costs use each one?
Each click count has its own derived metrics:
- CTR (link click-through rate) is link clicks divided by impressions.
- CPC (cost per link click) is amount spent divided by link clicks.
- CTR (all) is clicks (all) divided by impressions.
- Cost per click (all) is the total amount spent divided by clicks (all).
If a report shows a strong CTR but weak traffic, check whether it is the “all” version.
How should you choose which one to report?
- Decide whether the goal is traffic to a destination or interaction with the ad itself.
- Use link clicks, link CTR and CPC for traffic goals.
- Use clicks (all) for engagement goals, where reactions and shares are the point.
- Add outbound clicks when you need to know how many clicks left Meta for your site or app.
FAQ
Why are my clicks (all) higher than my link clicks?
That is expected. Clicks (all) contains every link click plus reactions, comments, shares, profile taps and media expands. The gap grows on ads that attract lots of engagement, and it says nothing about how many people reached your website.
Is a link click the same as an outbound click?
No. Link clicks include taps that keep people inside Meta, such as opening an Instant Experience or lead form. Outbound clicks count only clicks that take people off Meta technologies, including clicks out of those full-screen experiences to your site.
Does a link click mean my page loaded?
No. A link click is counted on the click. Whether your page then loads is tracked separately by landing page views, which Meta counts when a webpage loads after an ad is clicked. Slow or broken pages widen the gap between the two.
Sources
- Know the difference between clicks (all) and link clicks (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Clicks (all) (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About link clicks and outbound clicks (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- CTR (all) (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Cost per click (all) (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- CTR (link click-through rate) (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- CPC (cost per link click) (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Outbound clicks (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Website landing page views (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Understand the difference between link clicks and landing page views (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
Drafted with AI and checked claim by claim against the pages linked under Sources. Found a mistake? Tell us via the corrections policy.