Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for E-commerce

Introduction

E-commerce lead costs ran hot early, then cooled dramatically. Across all countries, median Facebook Ads cost per lead (CPL) for E-commerce started high in late 2024, spiked again in February, and then fell by more than half into mid-2025 before stabilizing lower into Q3 and softening again in October. Compared to the global, all-industry benchmark, E-commerce CPL was consistently above market through the first half of the period, then flipped to below-market levels from July onward. Volatility was also markedly higher than the baseline, signaling sharper auction dynamics for E-commerce lead generation.

This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for E-commerce across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

• Starting point vs. ending point: E-commerce CPL fell from $63.43 in November 2024 to $34.16 in October 2025, a 46% decline.
• Highs and lows: The peak arrived in February 2025 at $69.23; the low came in July at $31.38. The year’s span was wide ($37.85), roughly 74% of the category’s $51.34 average.
• Average and volatility: E-commerce averaged $51.34 over the 12 months. Month-to-month volatility averaged $8.51, far above the global benchmark’s $3.22.
• Key movements: After a firm November–December ($63–$60), CPL dipped in January ($51.68) then surged in February (+$17.55 m/m). A late-Q1/early-Q2 plateau ($60.83–$67.63) gave way to a steep slide into July (−$36.25 from April to July, more than a 50% drop). The category rebounded modestly in August–September ($36.44 to $39.19) before easing to $34.16 in October.

For context, the global all-industry benchmark averaged $40.94, with a low in March ($33.35) and a high in September ($48.29). The baseline trend climbed gradually from November ($41.47) to October ($45.08), up about 9% overall, with narrower swings and steadier momentum.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

E-commerce CPL was elevated during late Q4 2024 and again in February–April 2025, then pivoted sharply lower through July—an atypical mid-year trough relative to broader market patterns. August and September showed a measured rebound before an early-Q4 softening in October. The baseline, by contrast, tracked a more conventional rise into late Q3 (September peak), reflecting broader market CPM analysis and auction intensity, while E-commerce’s CPL dynamics were more pronounced and less linear.

Country vs. Global

On average, E-commerce CPL across all countries was 25% above the global, all-industry benchmark ($51.34 vs. $40.94). The premium was widest in March (+82%) and April (+76%), remained elevated in May (+27%) and June (+23%), then flipped negative in July (−26%), August–September (−19%), and October (−24%). While the global series rose steadily (+9%), E-commerce declined sharply (−46%) across the same window and was notably more volatile (2.6× the monthly movement).

At its narrowest positive gap, E-commerce sat 23% above the market (June). At its widest discount, it was 26% below (July). This swing from an early-year premium to a late-year discount underscores how industry ad performance can diverge from the broader market, even when averaged across all countries.

Closing

In sum, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per lead in E-commerce across all countries show a high-cost, high-volatility first half followed by a mid-year reset and a softer early Q4. Understanding CPL trends for E-commerce globally helps teams benchmark country-specific ad costs and compare performance to the global all-industry pattern.