Performance
What is CPA?
Cost Per Acquisition
DEFINITION
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) is the ad spend needed to generate one conversion — a sale, signup, or lead.
FORMULA
CPA = Ad spend ÷ ConversionsINDUSTRY BENCHMARKS
Meta ecommerce: $28-$65 · Google Search ecommerce: $35-$80 · B2B lead: $80-$400
Why CPA matters
CPA is cleaner than ROAS for comparing across products with different price points. Used in lead gen where the final sale happens outside the ad platform. Target CPA should always be < LTV × margin × acceptable payback period.
Common questions about CPA
What is CPA?▾
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) is the ad spend needed to generate one conversion — a sale, signup, or lead.
How is CPA calculated?▾
CPA = Ad spend ÷ Conversions
What is a good CPA?▾
Meta ecommerce: $28-$65 · Google Search ecommerce: $35-$80 · B2B lead: $80-$400
Related terms
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