A prompt — usually a button, link, or line of copy — that tells the audience exactly what to do next: "Sign up," "Start your free trial," "Learn more."
Why it matters
A CTA is often the single highest-leverage element on a page or in an email, because it's the moment intent turns into action. Small changes to CTA wording, placement, or design frequently produce outsized changes in conversion rate relative to their cost to test.
In a sentence
"We tested three CTA variants and 'Start your free scan' outperformed 'Get started' by a meaningful margin."
Related terms
- Often confused with: Value proposition (a CTA tells someone what to do; a value proposition tells them why they should want to).
- Synonyms: Action prompt, conversion prompt.