What Is the Difference Between Link Clicks and Clicks (All) on Meta Ads?

As a digital marketer or business owner, understanding these subtle but important distinctions helps you spend smarter and advertise more effectively.

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What is Clicks (All) in Facebook Ads?

“Clicks (All)” is the broadest metric Facebook (now Meta) gives you. It includes every click your ad receives. That means:

• Likes, reactions, and comments
• Shares
• Clicks to expand the ad text
• Clicks to view your profile or page
• Link clicks

So yes, it includes “Link Clicks,” but it goes way beyond that.

If someone clicks “Read More” on a long caption, it counts. If they hit the “Like” button or click on your Page name, those also count. This metric tells you about all the ways people interacted with your ad—but it doesn’t necessarily mean they were interested in your website, product, or landing page.

In short: Clicks (All) is a measure of total engagement, not total intent.

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What Is the Difference Between Link Clicks and Clicks (All) on Meta Ads?

“Link Clicks,” by contrast, is a more specific metric. It tracks only those clicks that lead someone off of Facebook or Instagram—like to your website, a landing page, an online shop, or any external destination. It’s a better measure of true traffic from your ads.

It’s not uncommon to see an ad with 100 Clicks (All) but only 20 Link Clicks. That means 80% of the engagement was internal (likes, shares, etc.)—only 20 people actually clicked through to your site.

If you’re paying for traffic or trying to get conversions (like sales or form fills), “Link Clicks” is usually the more valuable metric. It’s the one that shows you real intent.

To dive deeper into traffic, Meta also tracks Outbound Clicks, which narrows it further by removing misclicks or loading errors. More on that soon.

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What Is the Difference Between CTR Link and CTR All on Facebook?

CTR (Click-Through Rate) measures how many people saw your ad and then clicked something on it. There are two main CTR metrics you’ll see in Meta Ads Manager:

• CTR (All): This measures all clicks (including likes, shares, etc.) divided by impressions.
• CTR (Link Clicks): This measures only Link Clicks divided by impressions.

So if your ad had 5,000 impressions and 250 total clicks (including reactions), CTR (All) would be 5%. But if only 50 of those were actual link clicks to your site, CTR (Link Clicks) would be 1%.

If you’re running a brand awareness campaign, CTR (All) might be helpful. But if your goal is driving traffic, CTR (Link Clicks) is the metric you want to watch.

Looking for a team to help sort through these numbers and build smarter ads? Our Internet Advertising Company specializes in Meta Ads Management and can help you optimize for the right metrics.

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What Is the Difference Between Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks on Facebook?

Another source of confusion: “Outbound Clicks” vs. “Link Clicks.”

Meta introduced “Outbound Clicks” to give advertisers more precision. Both metrics track external clicks, but here’s the key difference:

• Link Clicks: All clicks on links in your ad, even if they don’t lead off the Meta platform. It includes links to your Facebook Event, another post, or Messenger.
• Outbound Clicks: Only counts clicks that actually take users away from Facebook or Instagram to an external website.

So Outbound Clicks are a subset of Link Clicks. If you’re trying to track real traffic to your website, Outbound Clicks offer the most accurate picture.

Still wondering how this applies to your campaign? Take a look at our What is Paid Advertising? guide for a full breakdown of paid ad strategies.

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Why These Metrics Matter

Understanding the difference between Clicks (All), Link Clicks, and Outbound Clicks isn’t just semantics. It’s how you measure effectiveness.

You could be running an ad that gets a lot of engagement but doesn’t drive traffic. If you’re not looking at the right metric, you might think the campaign is performing better than it really is.

That’s why Meta separates these out. Use “Clicks (All)” if you’re after broad engagement. Use “Link Clicks” or “Outbound Clicks” if you care about actual traffic or leads.

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How to Use These Metrics in Your Meta Ads Strategy

Let’s say you’re running ads for a product launch. You want sales, right? In that case:

• Focus on Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks
• Aim for a strong CTR (Link Clicks)
• Ignore vanity metrics like reactions and shares if they don’t drive results

On the other hand, if your campaign is about building buzz or engagement, you might pay closer attention to “Clicks (All)” and “CTR (All).”

If you’re working with a Meta Ads Management team, make sure they’re optimizing for the right metrics—not just the ones that look good in a report. Need help? Our Internet Advertising Company knows how to dig into the real numbers.

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Final Thoughts: Don’t Be Fooled by Surface-Level Metrics

The biggest mistake I see advertisers make? They focus on Clicks (All) and assume they’re driving traffic. But likes, shares, and expand clicks don’t always lead to conversions. You’ve got to know what you’re really measuring.

Meta gives you the tools to do that—you just have to understand them. Once you do, you can build ads that are not just popular, but profitable.

And if you want to go even deeper, I highly recommend checking out this Meta Business Help article on ad metrics.