10 Ways to Increase Your Email Click-Through Rate (2026)
How can you increase your email click-through rate? A click is the clearest sign that subscribers find your emails valuable, and in 2026 it’s also the most reliable number to track, because Apple Mail Privacy Protection inflates open rates. A higher email click-through rate means more visits, sales and engaged readers. Here are 10 ways to improve it, updated from the original guest tips by David of ActiveCampaign.
Quick answer: Keep the layout simple with one main call to action, put your best content first, use a large button with specific text, show snippets that link to the full article, segment your list so each email is relevant, personalise beyond the first name, optimise for mobile, add a P.S. reminder, use honest urgency, and A/B test subject lines, content and buttons.
Table of Contents
10 ways to increase email click-through rate
1. Keep the layout clean
Busy layouts with many links and big header images pull attention from your main link. A simple single-column email with plenty of white space works best.
2. Focus on one call to action
Decide the one thing you want readers to do. Secondary links are fine, but make the main one stand out.
3. Use buttons with specific text
A large, tappable button saying “Read the full guide” or “Get 20% off” beats a small “Click here” text link. Repeat it at the end of longer emails.
4. Put the best content first
Many people only read the first screen. Lead with your strongest story or offer.
5. Tease, then link
Share a short snippet of each article and link to the full version on your site. Readers scan faster and click to finish.
6. Use video thumbnails
A screenshot of a video with a play button, linked to the page where it plays, draws clicks. Animated GIFs can work too, but keep files small.
7. Segment and personalise
Split your list by interests, location, purchases or past clicks, and send each group what it cares about. Recommendations based on behaviour beat simple first-name personalisation.
8. Design for mobile
Most emails are opened on phones. Use readable fonts, short paragraphs and buttons big enough to tap.
9. Add a P.S. and honest urgency
A P.S. line reminds readers of the call to action at the end. Real deadlines or limited stock lift clicks; fake countdowns erode trust.
10. Test everything
A/B test subject lines, preview text, button colour and wording, layout and send time. Change one thing at a time and judge by clicks, not opens.
What is a good email click-through rate?
Benchmarks vary by industry, but many newsletters see roughly 1% to 4% of recipients click. Compare against your own past emails rather than averages, and look at click-to-open rate for a fairer view of content quality.
Tools that help
Email platforms such as ActiveCampaign (external site), Mailchimp and Kit offer segmentation, automation and A/B testing. Start with the basics in our email marketing tips.
FAQ
What’s the difference between click-through rate and click-to-open rate?
CTR is clicks divided by emails delivered. Click-to-open rate is clicks divided by opens, which measures how engaging the content is to people who opened it.
Do more links increase clicks?
Not usually. Too many choices can lower clicks on your main link.
Why are my open rates so high but clicks low?
Privacy features record “opens” automatically for many Apple Mail users. Focus on clicks as your real measure.
Originally written by guest author David of ActiveCampaign, an email marketing software company. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips.
Stuck on a gift? Try our free Gift Idea GeneratorIdeas for anyone by age, job, interests and budget, with Amazon.com and Amazon.in linksFind gifts →Get our free weekly email: new tech guides and tools, no spam.
New and updated tech guides, a free tool worth bookmarking and one useful pick, once a week. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
One email a week. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.
I like to use simple table buttons, just a colored table that looks button like and increases CTR.
This post is a good one . but i want to ask , is their some way we can add some ads in the email ,, ads like google ads or more ,,, plz tell if some site provides such ads that we can incorporate with our email marketing .