GA4 Bounce Rate vs UA Bounce Rate: Understanding the Differences

2023-09-25 | Article | Insights

Understanding the differences between Universal Analytics (UA) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is crucial as the final transition from UA to GA4 approaches. While there are fundamental disparities between the platforms, there are also several tactical differences you're likely to encounter once GA4 is implemented. One metric that has undergone notable changes is Bounce Rate, which is important to explore in order to grasp its variations between the two platforms.

Bounce Rate in Universal Analytics

To provide context, let's revisit the historical definition of Bounce Rate. In Universal Analytics, a Bounce is any session with a single interactive event, typically a single pageview. If there are subsequent interactive events, the session is not considered a Bounce.

Examples of Bounced Sessions in Universal Analytics include:

  • A user who visits your website and immediately leaves.
  • A user who visits your website, remains without interacting for an indefinite period, and then leaves.

Examples of Non-Bounced Sessions in Universal Analytics include:

  • A user who visits your website, navigates to a different page, and then leaves.
  • A user who visits your website, triggers an interactive event, and then leaves.

In Universal Analytics, Bounce Rate represents the percentage of all sessions that include a Bounce.

Engagement Rate in GA4

Before discussing the GA4 Bounce Rate, it's essential to understand the metrics of Engaged Sessions and Engagement Rate, which are new to GA4. Engagement Rate is the percentage of sessions identified by GA4 as "engaged." So, what constitutes an Engaged Session?

An Engaged Session in GA4 is any session that meets one or more of the following criteria:

  • Has two or more views/pageviews.
  • Includes one or more conversion events.
  • Lasts for 10 or more seconds.

Engagement Rate is the percentage of sessions that are considered as Engaged Sessions.

Bounce Rate in GA4

Bounce Rate in GA4 is calculated as “[1 minus Engagement Rate]”. Therefore, a Bounced Session in GA4 refers to any session that does not qualify as an Engaged Session.

Examples of Bounced Sessions in GA4 include:

  • A user who visits your website and immediately leaves.
  • A user who stays for less than 10 seconds without interacting.
  • A user who stays for less than 10 seconds and interacts in some way but doesn't trigger a second view or a conversion event.

Differences between UA and GA4 Bounce Rate

There are two main disparities between Bounce Rate in UA and GA4:

  • Timing: In UA, a session can last indefinitely and will be considered a Bounce if the user leaves without interacting. However, in GA4, a session that lasts 10 seconds or more (or the set duration in Configuration) will count as an Engaged Session even without interaction and will not contribute to Bounce Rate.
  • GA4 Conversion/Non-Conversion Events: In UA, any interactive event after the first prevents a session from being counted as a Bounce. In GA4, only triggering a conversion event or a second view event will prevent a session from being counted as a Bounce.

The Future of Reporting – Our Point of View

The evolution of Bounce Rate calculation from UA to GA4 enables businesses to gain a more personalized understanding of bounce and engagement. Since each website is unique, flexible approaches are required to measure Bounce Rates effectively, and GA4 provides those options. GA4's flexible customization capabilities offer a higher level of control without the need for GTM/custom scripting work. In general, organizations can expect to see lower Bounce Rates in GA4 compared to Universal Analytics, primarily due to the role of timing in calculating Bounce Rate. However, since GA4 offers flexibility in measuring Bounce Rate, individual experiences may vary.

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