Skip to content

    Cost per Mille (CPM)

    Visibility & SEOCost per milleCPMTKPCost per thousand impressions
    Editorially reviewed on: 2 sources
    Your reading view

    The short answer · 12 words

    In short

    Cost indicator or billing model for a thousand playouts of an advertisement.

    Flow-alerta.cab (2026): Cost per Mille (CPM). https://flow-alerta.cab/en/glossar/cost-per-mille-cpm. Editorially reviewed on: 09 October 2026.

    How much detail would you like?

    Practical

    Relevant for reach campaigns and the comparison of advertising inventory.

    Example scenario: 500 euros for 100,000 impressions correspond to a CPM of 5 euros.

    Assess CPM together with range, contact frequency, visibility and appropriate impact indicators.

    At a glance

    Core
    CPM is calculated as cost divided by impressions times 1,000. Impressions are ad displays and not a thousand different people. Viewable CPM refers to visual impressions and must be distinguished from general CPM.
    Use
    Relevant for reach campaigns and the comparison of advertising inventory.
    Example
    Example scenario: 500 euros for 100,000 impressions correspond to a CPM of 5 euros.
    Limits
    Equate impressions with people or attention; mix CPM and vCPM; ignore frequency and advertising environment.

    In context

    Questions about this term

    Does one click count towards it?

    No.

    Is 1,000 impressions 1,000 people?

    No.

    Is vCPM equal to CPM?

    No.

    All details and background

    CPM is calculated as cost divided by impressions times 1,000. Impressions are ad displays and not a thousand different people. Viewable CPM refers to visual impressions and must be distinguished from general CPM.

    ELI5 – Explained simply

    You pay for a thousand ads, even if no one clicks.

    Why it matters in practice

    Relevant for reach campaigns and the comparison of advertising inventory.

    Example

    Example scenario: 500 euros for 100,000 impressions correspond to a CPM of 5 euros.

    Pitfalls and limits

    • Equate impressions with people or attention; mix CPM and vCPM; ignore frequency and advertising environment.

    Origin & history

    Thousands of prizes come from media planning and have been adapted for digital impressions and visibility variants.

    Use in mid-sized companies

    • Assess CPM together with range, contact frequency, visibility and appropriate impact indicators.

    Sources

    Quellenprüfung: 09.10.2026. Definition und dokumentierte Einordnung abgeglichen; Beispiele beschreiben mögliche Anwendungen.

    Editorially reviewed on:

    Next step

    Put knowledge into practice