Bounce Rate is the share of website sessions where a visitor lands on one page and leaves without any additional tracked interaction. In other words: one pageview, then exit. As a diagnostic metric, Bounce Rate reflects first-touch relevance, landing page quality, and the intent fit of your traffic source.
Why analysts care
- Relevance & promise match: Does the landing page deliver on the SERP snippet or ad copy expectation?
- Acquisition quality: Channel with high Bounce Rate may be bringing the wrong audience (see utm tagging and campaign targeting).
- UX friction: Slow performance, layout shifts, or noisy popups can spike bounces (pair with page speed and core web vitals).
- Content fit: Content that satisfies intent quickly can be “one and done”; judge alongside time on page and engagement rate.
Formula
Bounce Rate (%) = (Bounced Sessions ÷ All Sessions) × 100
Mini-example:
If you had 1,250 sessions and 475 were single-page sessions: 475 ÷ 1,250 = 0.38 → 38% Bounce Rate.
Quick scenarios: is it a bounce?
| Scenario | Bounce? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| User views one page and exits | Yes | No second pageview or tracked event |
| One page + scroll only | Usually yes | Scroll isn’t a next interaction unless tracked as an event |
| One page → another page | No | Second pageview makes it a multi-page session |
| One page + form submit (tracked) | No | A tracked conversion breaks the bounce |
Practical guidance
Reduce Bounce Rate by tightening message-match (query → landing page), improving above-the-fold clarity, speeding up render, and surfacing strong CTA and internal links.
Compare Bounce Rate by page type. A docs article can have high Bounce Rate and still succeed; a pricing page should earn a next click or micro-conversion.
Always pair Bounce Rate with conversion rate, engagement rate, and exit rate to avoid false alarms.
On single-page applications, configure virtual pageviews or interaction events, or you’ll overcount bounces.