Unique Pageview is the number of sessions in which a specific page was seen at least once. Instead of counting every pageview hit, it deduplicates repeats of the same page within a single session. If a user reloads the page five times in one visit, that’s 1 unique pageview for that page.
This metric answers a simple question: “In how many visits did people encounter this page?” It sits between raw pageview volume (traffic) and user-level reach and is useful when you need a cleaner signal of page reach without inflation from refreshes, pagination loops, or in-page events.
Why it matters
- Reach without noise: Shows how broadly a page participates in visits, not how aggressively it’s reloaded.
- Funnel clarity: Helpful for landing page analysis, step-by-step flows, and diagnosing drop-offs before an exit page.
- Content overlap: Compare unique pageviews across pages to see which ones genuinely appear in more sessions (pairs well with pages per session and time on page).
Calculation
Formula (session-scoped):Unique Pageviews (for URL X) = Count of sessions where URL X appears ≥ 1 time
Mini-example
| Session ID | Page hits (order) | Unique Pageview for /pricing |
|---|---|---|
| S1 | /home → /pricing → /pricing → /checkout | 1 |
| S2 | /blog → /post-a → /post-b | 0 |
| S3 | /landing → /pricing → /features → /pricing | 1 |
| Total | — | 2 |
In raw pageview terms, /pricing was viewed 4 times, but it drove 2 unique pageviews because it appeared in 2 distinct sessions.
Practical notes
- Scope matters: “Unique pageview” is commonly session-scoped. If you need people-based reach, look at user counts for the page.
- URL normalization: Consolidate query strings, trailing slashes, and aliases; otherwise duplicates fragment the metric.
- Segments change the result: Device, geo, or campaign segments filter the underlying sessions and will change unique pageviews.
- Use with neighbors: Pair with time on page, exit page rate, and pages per session to understand both reach and engagement.