Overview
Why Is There a Difference Between Gross Clicks and Unique Clicks, Even When None Are Rejected?
It’s common to notice that gross clicks are higher than unique clicks, even when no clicks are marked as rejected. This happens because both metrics measure user activity differently.
To understand the difference, it’s important to know what qualifies as a gross click and a unique click in campaign reporting.
What Are Gross Clicks?
Gross clicks represent the total number of all clicks received on your campaign link. This includes:
First-time (unique) clicks
Duplicate clicks (from the same user/device)
Cancelled clicks
Clicks that were eventually rejected
In short, every interaction with the link is counted under gross clicks, regardless of whether it’s from a new or returning user.
What Are Unique Clicks?
A unique click refers to the first click from a user/device within a defined period of time (called the session window).
Any additional clicks from the same user/device within that session period are not counted as unique.
Unlike total (gross) clicks, which count every single click, unique clicks only count one click per user during that session. This helps us track how many individual users interacted with the campaign, rather than how many total clicks occurred.
Example:
If the same user clicks the campaign link 5 times in one day, it will be counted as
1 unique click
5 gross clicks
This is because only the first interaction is considered unique.
How the 168-Hour Session Window Works:
In our system, the unique click session duration is set to 168 hours (7 days) by default. This means:
Scenario | Is Unique | Is Rejected | Explanation |
User clicks the link for the first time | Yes | No | The system records it as a new unique click. |
Same user clicks again within 168 hours | No | Yes | The system identifies it as a duplicate click. |
Same user clicks again after 168 hours | Yes | No | The session window has expired, so it is treated as a new unique click. |
Duplicate click rejection is disabled, and the user clicks again within 168 hours | No | No | The click is accepted but not counted as a unique click. |
Real-Life Example
Suppose the IP address 105.89.22.213 clicks the same link multiple times within a few seconds:
Click Attempt | Gross Click | Unique Click | Rejected |
First Click | Yes | Yes | No |
Second Click | Yes | No | No |
Third Click | Yes | No | No |
Result: The total gross click count is 3, while the unique click count is 1.
Only the first click is considered unique, while all clicks are included in gross clicks.
Quick Guide
Gross Clicks = Total number of all clicks
Unique Clicks = First click per user/device within 168 hours
Repeated clicks still increase gross clicks
Duplicate rejection settings affect whether repeated clicks are rejected or accepted
Why Gross Clicks Are Higher
Even when no clicks are rejected, users may click the same campaign multiple times. Since every click is counted under gross clicks, this number is usually higher than unique clicks.
Unique clicks measure distinct users during the session window, while gross clicks measure total activity. However, only the first click counts as a unique click, helping you understand how many real users clicked while still tracking all repeated interactions for total activity.
Tips:
Use gross clicks to analyse overall engagement and activity volume.
Use unique clicks to understand actual audience reach.
Compare both metrics together for better campaign performance analysis.
High gross clicks with low unique clicks may indicate repeated user activity.
Monitor duplicate click behaviour to identify suspicious or bot traffic.
Review campaign settings to understand how duplicate rejection is configured.
Gross clicks track every interaction with a campaign link, while unique clicks count only the first click from a user within the defined session window. This is why gross clicks are often higher than unique clicks, even when no clicks are rejected.
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