What is a Link Click on Facebook Ad?

Confused by all the different “click” metrics inside Facebook Ads Manager? You’re not alone. Seeing metrics like “Clicks (All),” “Link Clicks,” and “Outbound Clicks” can be baffling, but understanding the difference is essential for knowing if your ads are actually working. This article will untangle the term “Link Click,” explaining exactly what it is, how it’s different from other clicks, and how you can use it to make better decisions for your campaigns.

What is a “Link Click” in a Facebook Ad?

A Link Click is an action that measures whenever a person clicks a hyperlink within your ad that's intended to take them to a destination, either on or off of Meta's platforms. These are the clicks that signal a user has shown interest in learning more about what you're offering.

Think of it as the click that initiates a journey. The user saw your ad, was intrigued, and clicked with the purpose of going somewhere specific. This "somewhere" can include:

• Your website’s landing page
• A product page within a Facebook or Instagram shop
• A lead generation form that pops up within the Facebook app (Instant Form)
• Starting a conversation in Messenger
• An app store page to download your app
• A Facebook Instant Experience (a full-screen ad experience within the app)

Essentially, if a click's goal is to engage more deeply with your brand's specific offer beyond just interacting with the ad post itself, it's counted as a Link Click.

Link Clicks vs. Other Clicks: Clearing Up the Confusion

This is where most new advertisers get tripped up. The differences are subtle but incredibly important for quality data analysis. Let’s break down the main comparisons.

Link Clicks vs. Clicks (All)

This is the most critical distinction to understand. Clicks (All) is the broadest, most liberal click metric available. It counts literally any click or tap anywhere on your ad.

Clicks (All) includes:

• Link Clicks (clicks to your website, Messenger, lead form, etc.)
• Likes, comments, and shares
• Clicks to view a photo or video full-screen
• Clicks on your Page or profile name
• Clicks on the "See More..." link to expand the ad copy
• Clicks to react to a comment left by another user

The Takeaway: Clicks (All) show general engagement and tell you if your ad is capturing any attention at all. However, it's a vanity metric if your goal is to drive traffic or sales. A person who clicks "Like" has a much lower intent than a person who clicks "Shop Now." Always prioritize Link Clicks over Clicks (All) for performance analysis.

Link Clicks vs. Outbound Clicks

This one is more nuanced. An Outbound Click measures clicks that lead a user completely off of Meta-owned properties (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger). In other words, an Outbound Click is any click that directs someone to an external website or app.

So, what’s the difference? All Outbound Clicks are also Link Clicks, but not all Link Clicks are Outbound Clicks.

Here’s an example:

• An ad promotes a pair of shoes. The "Shop Now" button goes to yourcompany.com/shoes. This is both a Link Click and an Outbound Click.
• An ad promotes the same pair of shoes. The "Shop Now" button opens your integrated Facebook Shop product page within the Facebook app. This is a Link Click but not an Outbound Click, because the user never left Facebook’s environment.

The Takeaway: If your primary goal is driving visitors to your own website, Outbound Clicks is a slightly more specific metric than Link Clicks. However, for most Traffic campaign objectives, focusing on Landing Page Views is an even better measure of success.

Link Clicks vs. Landing Page Views

This is the ultimate performance check. A Landing Page View is recorded only when a user clicks a link in your ad and the destination web page successfully loads, firing your Meta Pixel.

Why would your Link Clicks and Landing Page Views not match? There are a few common reasons:

• Slow Page Load Speed: A user clicks your ad but gets impatient waiting for your slow site to load and closes the tab. The Link Click is counted, but the Landing Page View is not.
• Accidental Clicks: Someone clicks on your ad by mistake (a classic "fat finger" tap on mobile) and immediately clicks the back button before your site can load.
• Broken Pixel or UTM Link: If your Meta Pixel isn't installed correctly or the link in your ad is broken, the page may load, but Facebook won’t be able to record the Landing Page View.

The Takeaway: A large gap between Link Clicks and Landing Page Views is a major red flag. It almost always indicates a technical problem with your website's performance (especially on mobile) or your tracking setup. If you see 1,000 Link Clicks but only 500 Landing Page Views, it’s time to investigate your site speed and Pixel health immediately.

How to See Link Clicks in Facebook Ads Manager

By default, Facebook's standard reporting columns might not show you all of these metrics side-by-side. Customizing your columns is easy and essential for proper analysis.

1. Log in to your Facebook Ads Manager.
2. Navigate to the level you want to analyze (Campaigns, Ad Sets, or Ads).
3. On the right side of the screen, find the button that says “Columns: [Preset Name]” (it is often "Columns: Performance" by default).
4. Click the dropdown menu and select “Customize Columns...” at the bottom.
5. A pop-up window will appear with dozens of available metrics. Use the search bar on the right to find and check the boxes for:
6. You can drag and drop these metrics in the right-hand panel to arrange them in an order that makes sense to you.
7. Click the blue “Apply” button at the bottom of the window.
8. Pro tip: Click the “Columns” dropdown again and choose “Save as preset...” to name and save this view for quick access in the future.

Now you can see these metrics side-by-side, giving you a powerful diagnostic view of how users are interacting with your ads.

How to Improve Your Ad's Link Click Performance

Simply tracking Link Clicks isn’t enough, the goal is to improve them. More relevant clicks at a lower cost mean a more efficient ad campaign. Here are five actionable tips to boost your Link Clicks.

1. Strengthen Your Call-to-Action (CTA)

Your CTA is arguably the most important element for driving clicks. It needs to be clear, concise, and aligned with your ad's promise.

• Be Direct: Don’t be clever, be clear. Use action-oriented buttons like "Shop Now" for e-commerce, "Download Guide" for lead magnets, or "Learn More" for articles.
• Match Copy to CTA: If your ad copy says "Get your free trial," the CTA button should say "Sign Up," not a generic "Click Here." Vague CTAs create confusion and hesitation.

2. Align Your Creative with Your Offer

Your ad's image or video should immediately signal what the user will get when they click. If you're selling blue running shoes, show a high-quality, eye-catching image of blue running shoes. Anything else is clickbait and will result in high bounce rates, even if it gets the initial speculative click.

3. Write Compelling, Benefit-Driven Headlines

The headline is prime real estate. Instead of just stating your product's name, lead with a benefit or solve a problem. A headline like "Quieter Mornings With Our Silent Coffee Grinder" is more compelling than "The Excalibur 3000 Coffee Grinder."

4. Test Everything Continuously

You may think you know what will get clicks, but the data will often surprise you. Create A/B tests to systematically find what works best.

• Test different images or videos.
• Test short ad copy vs. long ad copy.
• Test a question-based headline vs. a statement headline.
• Test your audience definitions.

Even small changes can have a huge impact on your Cost Per Link Click (CPC).

5. Dial-In Your Targeting

An amazing ad shown to the wrong audience will fail. Ensure you are targeting users who are likely to be interested in your offer. Use Facebook's powerful tools to build lookalike audiences from your best customers or retarget users who have visited your website before. The more relevant your audience, the higher your link click-through rate (CTR) will be.

Final Thoughts

Mastering metrics like Link Click transforms you from someone who simply spends money on ads into an advertiser who gets real results. Moving beyond the vanity metric of "Clicks (All)" and focusing on high-intent actions - Link Clicks, Outbound Clicks, and especially Landing Page Views - allows you to accurately diagnose campaign health, optimize your ad creative, and confidently scale what's working.

Comparing these click metrics across all your campaigns and ad sets can feel like an endless data-pulling exercise. As we built Graphed, we wanted to eliminate that manual work. You can connect your Facebook Ads account in seconds and just ask a question like, "Show me a chart comparing Link Clicks and cost per link click for my top five campaigns this month." We create an interactive, real-time dashboard for you instantly, so you can spend less time wrangling spreadsheets and more time acting on the insights.