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Facebook ads CTR dropping

Fewer people click than last week. How to tell creative fatigue from a placement shift or a changed audience.

Ads that stopped working Updated 9 November 2026 Checked against Meta’s Help Center

What it usually looks like A strong start that slowly fades

The short answer

A falling CTR usually means the ad is wearing out (frequency is rising) or the ad is being shown in places where people click less, such as Audience Network or Reels, after Meta shifted delivery. Break the CTR down by placement and check frequency before replacing the creative.

This is probably you if

  • Link CTR fell from, say, 1.5 to 0.8 percent
  • CPC rose while CPM stayed the same
  • The drop is gradual rather than overnight

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Causes, most likely first

Work down the list: rule each cause out or mark the one you find

  1. 1

    Creative fatigue

    The same people see the ad repeatedly and stop reacting.

    How to check
    Frequency rising over the same period.
    Fix
    See creative fatigue.

    Is this the cause?

  2. 2

    Delivery moved to other placements

    Placements have very different click rates. A shift toward low-click placements lowers the average.

    How to check
    Break down by placement and compare the share of impressions over time.
    Fix
    Make creative that fits each placement (vertical video for Stories and Reels).

    Is this the cause?

  3. 3

    Looking at all clicks instead of link clicks

    "CTR (all)" includes likes, profile clicks and expanding text, and moves for different reasons.

    How to check
    Use "CTR (link click-through rate)".
    Fix
    Report link CTR.

    Is this the cause?

Keep it from coming back

  • Test new hooks regularly so a replacement is ready.

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Terms in this guide

Frequently asked questions

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What is a good CTR on Facebook ads?
Many advertisers see link CTR around 1 percent, but it varies by industry, placement and objective. Compare an ad with your own other ads and its own first week.

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