While creating or tweaking a campaign, you might come across an advanced feature on the Bid Optimization page called CTR Control. When enabled, this safeguard helps prevent unusual user behavior from skewing your click-through rate (CTR) data. Curious if it’s right for your project?
You’ll find CTR Control in both Journey Canvas and Classic Canvas. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the Canvas (new experience) workflow.
How does CTR Control work?
When you enable the CTR Control feature, illumin predicts click-through rates (CTR) for all incoming inventory. These predictions remain in the background until the campaign's CTR reaches the control value you’ve set. At that point, illumin stops bidding on inventory that could raise the CTR beyond your specified limit. By default, the CTR Control value is 2%.
Why is a high CTR bad?
Here's the thinking behind the 2% default. Some inventory causes entices users to tap or click an ad impression. Imagine a full-screen ad on a mobile device, for instance, that devilishly hides the X (close) icon in the corner. The icon is easy to miss, which often leads to multiple user taps. The result is a frustrating user experience that reputable advertisers seek to avoid.
Now, you understand the rationale for a 2% CTR control value. We assume any CTR above that threshold might be due to atypical behavior directly or indirectly triggered by the inventory.
Locating the CTR Control field
To view the CTR Control field, open an existing campaign on the enhanced Canvas, go to the top of the canvas, and click the Bid Optimization icon.
Adding an optimization
After you click the icon, a new window displays. Click the All locations in Journey field. Select a location on the drop-down menu to apply the optimization (e.g. stages, paths, etc.).
The default setting is All locations in Journey. Optionally, you can apply the CTR Control to a specific tactic.
Filling in the form
Next, click the Add Bid Optimization button. A pop-up window displays a form. Here, you decide which optimization type to apply. The choices are Dynamic, Fixed, and CTR Control.
Note that if you selected a step, creative type, or source (i.e., exchange) in the previous step, you must select Dynamic or Fixed.
- Go to the Optimization Name field and enter a unique label.
- Click the CTR Control button.
- Go to the CTR Control field and review or change the value. The default is 2%.
- Click the Save button. A new window displays.
Applying the optimization
In the new window, decide how to apply the CTR Control. There are two choices:
- Apply to all paths on all stages. This is the default setting.
- Apply to one or more paths. Use the checkboxes to select the stage(s) that apply.
After you click Save, illumin adds the optimization to the table.
FAQs
What is CTR Control?
CTR Control is a bid optimization safeguard that limits excessive click-through rates caused by atypical inventory behavior. The feature predicts CTR in the background and stops bids when the campaign exceeds a defined CTR threshold. This approach protects click data quality and advertiser experience.
Why does illumin limit high click-through rates?
illumin limits high CTR values to prevent misleading performance driven by accidental or forced clicks. Some inventory formats trigger repeated taps that inflate CTR without true engagement. CTR Control helps marketers avoid poor user experiences and unreliable performance signals.
Where do marketers find CTR Control in Journey Canvas?
Marketers find CTR Control in the Bid Optimization panel at the top of the Journey Canvas. The field appears after selecting the Bid Optimization icon and choosing the applicable journey location. This workflow supports both journey wide and tactic level application.
What is the default CTR Control value?
The default CTR Control value is 2 percent. Illumin uses this threshold because CTR values above this level often indicate atypical interaction behavior. Marketers may adjust the value to match campaign objectives or inventory risk tolerance.
How does CTR Control apply across stages and paths?
CTR Control applies either across all stages and paths or to selected paths only. Marketers choose the scope during the final save step of the optimization workflow. This flexibility supports broad safeguards or targeted control for specific journey segments.
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