> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upstackdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Blended Cost per Application: Cross-Platform Application Acquisition Cost

> Track your blended cost per application submission across Meta, Google, and TikTok ads. Measure application acquisition efficiency with unified metrics.

<Tip>
  Blended Cost per Application measures how much you spend on average to drive each application submission through your ads across all advertising platforms combined.
</Tip>

## Formula

<Info>
  **Blended Cost per Application** = [**Blended Spend**](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/blended-spend) ÷ [**Blended Application Submissions**](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/application-submissions/blended-application-submissions)
</Info>

### Formula Components

| Metric                                                                                                                                | Definition                                                            |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [**Blended Spend**](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/blended-spend)                                                             | Total advertising spend across all connected ad platforms             |
| [**Blended Application Submissions**](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/application-submissions/blended-application-submissions) | Total application form completions attributed across all ad platforms |

| Metadata        |                                                                                                                             |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Type**        | Currency                                                                                                                    |
| **Data Source** | [Meta Ads](/sources/catalog/facebook-ads), [Google Ads](/sources/catalog/google-ads), [TikTok Ads](/sources/catalog/tiktok) |
| **Aggregation** | Ratio                                                                                                                       |

***

## Example

Your recruitment campaign spent **\$12,000** across all ad platforms last month and generated **480 job applications**.

| Metric                           | Value       |
| -------------------------------- | ----------- |
| Blended Spend                    | \$12,000    |
| Blended Application Submissions  | 480         |
| **Blended Cost per Application** | **\$25.00** |

At **\$25 per application**, you can evaluate whether your cross-platform recruitment advertising is cost-effective compared to industry benchmarks or your target acquisition costs.

***

## How It Works

Blended Cost per Application aggregates total advertising spend from Meta, Google, and TikTok, then divides by the total number of application submissions attributed to those platforms. This provides a unified view of application acquisition efficiency across your entire paid media mix.

***

## When to Use

| Scenario                                   | Action                                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Evaluating recruitment campaign efficiency | Compare blended cost per application against your target hiring cost     |
| Budget planning for application campaigns  | Use this metric to forecast spend needed for application volume goals    |
| Benchmarking against industry standards    | Compare your blended cost per application to industry averages           |
| Identifying efficiency trends              | Track cost per application over time to spot improvements or degradation |

***

## Related Metrics

| Metric                                                                                                                            | Relationship                                                |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Blended Spend](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/blended-spend)                                                             | Numerator — total ad spend across platforms                 |
| [Blended Application Submissions](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/application-submissions/blended-application-submissions) | Denominator — total applications across platforms           |
| [Blended Cost per Lead](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/leads/blended-cost-per-lead)                                       | Similar efficiency metric for leads instead of applications |

[See all Blended Conversions metrics →](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended)