Goal Completion is the raw count of times a predefined Goal is finished on your site or app. Think “signed up,” “completed checkout,” “downloaded whitepaper.” It’s a discrete success event—useful on its own and foundational for downstream metrics like Conversion Rate and path analysis in a Goal Funnel.
Unlike ratios, this metric is just a tally. You define the success event, instrument it, and then count occurrences over a period. Scope matters: aggregate by Session for visit-level performance, or by User when measuring unique reach. Keep it distinct from a generic Event Count: every completion is an event, but not every event is a completion.
Why it matters
- Demand signal: Spikes in completions often align with campaigns (check your UTM Parameters).
- Capacity planning: Ops can map completion volume to workload (orders, tickets, SLA).
- Model inputs: Clean completion counts feed LTV and Attribution Model calculations.
Calculation & quick example
There’s no fancy math—just counting the success event.
Goal Completions (period) = number of times the goal event fired in that period
Mini example:
- 1,000 Sessions this week
- 500 “Signup Success” events fired
- Goal Completions = 500
- For context: Conversion Rate = 500 / 1,000 = 50%
Scoping & deduping
Decide how to treat repeats:
- Per session: allow multiple completions in one visit (e.g., multiple purchases).
- Per user: cap at one per user per day/week to measure reach.
- Per funnel: require a valid path in the Goal Funnel to avoid orphaned success events.
Common pitfalls
- Double fires: Button mashing, retries, or duplicate listeners inflate counts—use idempotency keys and validate against Event Count.
- Soft vs. hard success: “Form viewed” or a mere Pageview isn’t a completion; only confirmed end-states count.
- Attribution mismatch: When comparing to Conversion Rate or Engagement Rate, align time windows and scope (session vs. user).