IPM: Installs per mille (installs per thousand impressions).

IPM is the creative team's favourite number. It strips away budget and bids and asks one thing: when people see this ad, how many of them install the game?

The IPM formula

IPM = installs ÷ impressions × 1,000

"Mille" is Latin for thousand, the same as in CPM (cost per mille).

A worked example

A puzzle game runs a new video ad. It is shown 40,000 times and drives 120 installs.

IPM = 120 ÷ 40,000 × 1,000 = 3.0

So for every 1,000 people who saw the ad, three installed the game.

How IPM links to CPI and CPM

Ad networks often charge by impression (CPM), and you care about cost per install (CPI). IPM connects them:

CPI = CPM ÷ IPM

If the network charges $12 per 1,000 impressions:

• At an IPM of 3.0, CPI = $12 ÷ 3.0 = $4.00
• At an IPM of 4.0, CPI = $12 ÷ 4.0 = $3.00

A better creative cut the cost of each install by 25% without touching the bid. That is why studios test so many creatives: a higher IPM is often the cheapest way to lower eCPI. Ad networks' algorithms also tend to give more delivery to ads that convert well, so a strong IPM can help an ad win more auctions.

IPM vs CTR vs conversion rate

Metric	Formula	What it measures
CTR	Clicks ÷ impressions	How many viewers click
Install rate (CVR)	Installs ÷ clicks	How many clickers install, mostly driven by the store page
IPM	Installs ÷ impressions × 1,000	The whole journey from view to install in one number

IPM combines the ad and the store page. If CTR is high but IPM is low, the ad is attracting clicks the store page does not convert, or the ad promises something the game does not deliver. Check the icon, screenshots and first video frame of the store listing.

What is a good IPM?

It varies widely by genre, country, platform, ad format and network. Casual and puzzle games with broad appeal usually reach higher IPMs than mid-core or strategy games, which target a narrower audience but often earn more per player. Rewarded and playable formats can behave differently from standard video. Compare creatives within the same campaign, network and country rather than against a published average.

IPM is not the whole story

A creative with a high IPM can still be a bad creative if the players it brings do not stay or spend. Misleading ads, for example, can produce lots of cheap installs that churn on day one. Always check the players behind the number:

• D1 and D7 retention by creative
• Early revenue and ROAS by creative
• Store rating and reviews after a creative scales

The best creative is the one with the best balance of IPM and player quality, not the highest IPM on its own.

How to raise IPM

• Hook in the first two seconds. Most viewers decide almost immediately.
• Show real gameplay. It sets honest expectations and protects retention.
• Test many concepts, not just small edits. Different hooks, themes and formats usually move IPM more than colour changes.
• Match the store page to the ad. The first screenshot should feel like a continuation of the ad.
• Localize. Text and voice in the viewer's language often lift IPM in non-English markets.

For a full testing setup, read our guide to mobile game creative testing, or see our ads service.