Hupspot Guide to CTOR vs CTR for Email Marketing

In email marketing, Hubspot users often debate whether to optimize for click-through rate (CTR) or click-to-open rate (CTOR). Understanding the difference, how to calculate each metric, and when to use them helps you accurately measure engagement and improve every campaign you send.

This guide walks through definitions, formulas, examples, and practical steps you can apply to your own strategy.

What Are CTR and CTOR in Hubspot Email Campaigns?

Both metrics measure clicks, but they focus on different parts of the funnel. When you analyze campaigns in Hubspot or any other email platform, separating CTR from CTOR shows whether problems come from your list, subject line, or the email content itself.

CTR Definition for Hubspot Email Reports

CTR (click-through rate) shows the percentage of recipients who clicked at least one link out of everyone who received the email. It answers the question: out of the full audience, how many people took action?

CTR formula:

• CTR = (Total clicks ÷ Total delivered emails) × 100

Example: If Hubspot shows that you delivered 10,000 emails and recorded 250 clicks, your CTR is:

• CTR = (250 ÷ 10,000) × 100 = 2.5%

This number is useful when you want a high-level view of how a campaign performed against your overall list.

CTOR Definition for Hubspot Email Performance

CTOR (click-to-open rate) focuses only on people who opened the email. It shows how compelling your content and calls-to-action are once the email has been opened.

CTOR formula:

• CTOR = (Total clicks ÷ Unique opens) × 100

Example: If Hubspot reports 2,000 opens and 250 clicks, then:

• CTOR = (250 ÷ 2,000) × 100 = 12.5%

While CTR tells you how the full send performed, CTOR isolates and evaluates the quality of the message inside the email.

How to Calculate CTR and CTOR Step by Step in Hubspot

Even if your email platform calculates these metrics automatically, understanding the math helps you interpret the data correctly.

Step 1: Gather Key Email Metrics

From your Hubspot email analytics dashboard or report export, collect:

• Total emails delivered (not just sent)
• Unique opens
• Total or unique clicks (be consistent in what you use)

Make sure you are using the same click definition for both formulas to keep your comparison accurate.

Step 2: Calculate CTR

1. Take the total number of clicks.
2. Divide by total delivered emails.
3. Multiply the result by 100 to convert to a percentage.

You can apply this to a single email, a full campaign, or a segment you manage in Hubspot lists.

Step 3: Calculate CTOR

1. Take the same total number of clicks.
2. Divide by the number of unique opens.
3. Multiply by 100 to get the percentage.

The CTOR value helps you compare the strength of different templates, offers, or content structures tested inside Hubspot.

When to Use CTR vs CTOR in Hubspot Campaign Analysis

CTR and CTOR do not replace each other; they work together. Each metric answers a different question about your email performance.

Use CTR to Evaluate Overall List and Offer Fit

CTR is most useful when you want to judge if a campaign resonated with your entire audience. In Hubspot reporting, use CTR to:

• Compare overall performance between different lists or segments.
• Check whether a subject line and offer combination is attractive to your base.
• Benchmark campaigns sent during different seasons or promotions.

A low CTR could mean poor targeting, weak interest in the offer, or deliverability issues that reduce real visibility.

Use CTOR to Improve Email Content Quality

CTOR helps you focus on people who already opened the email. In Hubspot or any email tool, use CTOR when you want to understand:

• How well your copy and visuals drive action.
• Whether your main call-to-action is clear and easy to find.
• How different layouts or button placements perform in A/B tests.

If CTOR is low but opens are strong, your subject line and sender name likely work well, but the message inside the email needs improvement.

Optimizing CTOR and CTR with Hubspot-Style Best Practices

Improvement comes from testing. By evolving your approach using structured experiments, you can steadily raise both CTR and CTOR.

Tips to Improve CTR Across Your Audience

• Refine audience targeting: Use segmentation so subscribers only receive emails that align with their interests and lifecycle stage.
• Craft clearer subject lines: Be direct, specific, and honest about what the email contains.
• Use recognizable sender details: A familiar from name builds trust and can lift open rates, which also affects CTR.
• Send at appropriate times: Test different send times to reach people when they are most likely to engage.

These steps are especially important when managing large databases similar to those typically handled in Hubspot.

Tips to Improve CTOR Inside the Email

• Make one primary call-to-action: Reduce distractions so readers know exactly what to click.
• Use buttons, not just text links: Buttons stand out on mobile and desktop, improving visibility.
• Write benefit-focused copy: Explain what the reader gains by clicking, not just what the feature is.
• Optimize for mobile: Responsive design, larger buttons, and concise text increase clicks on small screens.

By monitoring CTOR in your reports, you can quickly see which content experiments are working and which require adjustment.

Common Pitfalls in Interpreting Hubspot Email Metrics

When analyzing data that resembles what you see in a Hubspot dashboard, watch out for frequent errors that can lead to wrong conclusions.

• Comparing different metrics: Make sure you do not mix total clicks with unique clicks across campaigns.
• Ignoring deliverability: Poor deliverability reduces real visibility and drags down CTR, even when content is strong.
• Focusing on one metric in isolation: Always review opens, CTR, and CTOR together for a balanced view.
• Using tiny sample sizes: Drawing conclusions from very small sends can be misleading.

True optimization depends on accurate, consistent measurement over time.

Additional Resources and Next Steps

If you want to dive deeper into the original discussion of CTOR vs CTR, you can read the full article on the HubSpot blog here: CTOR vs. CTR: Which Should You Track?

For broader digital strategy support, including SEO, automation, and analytics implementation, you can also visit Consultevo for consulting resources and guidance.

By consistently reviewing both CTR and CTOR and making incremental improvements based on your data, you can turn your email program into a reliable engine for engagement and revenue, no matter which platform you use.

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