What is CPA (cost per acquisition)?

The average cost of getting one conversion: a sale, sign-up or lead.

CPA is the clearest cost metric for whether ads actually work. It needs to be lower than your profit per sale.

Accurate measurement requires tracking conversions with a pixel or UTMs.

Updated: October 12, 2026 · All terms

Run your social media from one panel

IZY Social writes posts in your brand's voice, publishes them at the right time and reports the results.