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What is eCPM (effective cost per mille)?

The formula is earnings ÷ impressions × 1,000. If ads on your site earned $45 from 30,000 impressions, your eCPM is $1.50.

eCPM lets you compare ad networks and formats that pay differently: one network may pay per impression (CPM), another per click, and a third per conversion (CPA). Converting everything to earnings per 1,000 views shows which one really pays more for the same traffic.

Expect eCPM to move with the season, the visitor’s country, the device and the ad format. Popunders and push ads often show higher eCPM than small banners, but they can also hurt user experience, so test on part of your traffic first.

Related terms

CPM · Cost per mille
CPM (cost per mille) is the price an advertiser pays for 1,000 ad impressions, the standard way display, popunder and push traffic is sold.
Advertising network
An advertising network is a platform that buys ad space from many websites and apps and sells it to advertisers, usually per impression or per click.
Popunder
A popunder is an ad that opens a new browser window or tab behind the page the visitor is viewing, so it is seen when they close or switch tabs.
EPC · Earnings per click
EPC (earnings per click) is the average amount an affiliate earns for each click sent to an offer.