Bounce rate traditionally measured single-page sessions where users left without interaction. In GA4, this concept has been largely replaced by engagement rate.
Traditional bounce rate
In Universal Analytics:
- Bounce rate = Single-page sessions / Total sessions
- A "bounce" was leaving without any interaction
GA4's approach
GA4 uses engagement rate instead:
- Engaged session: Lasted 10+ seconds, had a conversion, or had 2+ page views
- Engagement rate: Percentage of engaged sessions
- Bounce rate (GA4): Percentage of non-engaged sessions
What affects bounce rate
- Page load speed
- Content relevance
- User experience
- Call-to-action clarity
- Mobile optimization
When high bounce rate is okay
Not all high bounce rates are bad:
- Blog posts that answer a question
- Contact pages with phone numbers
- Pages designed for quick information
Improving bounce rate
- Improve page load speed
- Match content to search intent
- Add clear calls to action
- Improve mobile experience
- Reduce intrusive elements
Related Terms
Engagement Rate
In GA4, the percentage of sessions that were engaged sessions, where users actively interacted with the page.
Google Analytics
A web analytics service by Google that tracks and reports website traffic, user behavior, and conversion data.
Page Views
A metric that counts the total number of times a specific page on a website has been viewed by visitors.
Session
A group of user interactions with a website that take place within a given time frame, typically ending after 30 minutes of inactivity.