(1) (
Cost
Per
Action) The cost to an advertiser for clicking an ad on a website that results in purchasing a product or registering contact information, the latter called "cost per lead" (CPL). See
pay-per-click,
click-through rate and
RPM.
(2) (Computer Press Association, Landing, NJ) An earlier membership organization founded in 1983 that promoted excellence in computer journalism. Its annual awards honored outstanding examples in print, broadcast and electronic media. The CPA disbanded in 2000.