In GA4 (Google Analytics 4), the definition of bounce rate has changed significantly from the old UA. It was previously defined as "the percentage of sessions where only one page was viewed," but GA4 redefines it as "the percentage of sessions without engagement." Additionally, bounce rate is not displayed by default in GA4 reports, leaving many users unsure how to find it.
This article explains the definition and calculation of bounce rate in GA4, how it differs from engagement rate, specific methods to view it, and how to improve a high bounce rate.
Bounce rate in GA4 is defined as "the percentage of sessions without engagement." "Engagement" means the user took some active action on the site or app. Specifically, a session is counted as an "engaged session" if it meets any of the following conditions.
First, the session lasted longer than 10 seconds. Second, the session included 2 or more page views. Third, a key event (conversion) occurred during the session. Sessions that meet none of these conditions are classified as "bounces."
The formula is: GA4 Bounce Rate = 100% − Engagement Rate. For example, if the engagement rate is 65%, the bounce rate is 35%.
In UA, bounce rate was defined as "the number of single-page sessions divided by total sessions." This meant that even if a user spent over 60 minutes reading content on a page, it was counted as a bounce if they left without viewing another page. This was problematic because high-quality visits were being counted as bounces.
GA4 addressed this issue by introducing the concept of engagement. Bounce is now determined using criteria beyond just page views, including time on site (over 10 seconds) and conversion events. As a result, GA4 bounce rates tend to be lower than UA for the same site and time period. Avoid directly comparing bounce rates between UA and GA4.
Engagement rate and bounce rate in GA4 are two sides of the same coin. Engagement rate is the percentage of all sessions that were engaged sessions, while bounce rate is the percentage of sessions without engagement. The two always add up to 100%.
GA4 generally recommends using engagement rate. It provides a positive perspective—"the percentage of users who took meaningful action"—making it easier to assess site improvement directions. Bounce rate, on the other hand, is useful for identifying problem areas as "the percentage of negative experiences." Use both metrics depending on your analytical purpose.
Exit rate, which is often confused with bounce rate, represents the percentage of sessions where the last event occurred on a specific page. Exit rate analyzes individual page effectiveness, while bounce rate evaluates overall site or channel-level engagement.
While UA had exit rate as a standard metric, GA4's standard reports do not display it. To calculate exit rate in GA4, you need to use the exploration report with the formula: exits ÷ sessions × 100.
Bounce rate is not displayed by default in GA4 reports. You need to customize the report to see it. Here's how to add bounce rate to a standard report.
Click "Reports" from the left menu. Select "Engagement" > "Pages and screens." Click the pencil icon (Customize report) in the upper right. Click "Metrics" in the "Customize report" panel on the right. Search for and select "Bounce rate" from "Add metric." Drag the bounce rate to your preferred position and click "Apply."
You can save the customized report using the "Save" button. If you want to keep the original, choose "Save as new report." Note that customizing reports requires editor or administrator permissions.
Exploration reports allow you to analyze bounce rate more flexibly, including filtering by specific conditions and combining with other metrics.
Click "Explore" from the left menu and select the "Free form" template. Add dimensions such as "Page path and screen class." Add metrics including "Sessions," "Bounce rate," and "Engagement rate." Drag the dimensions to "Rows" and metrics to "Values" to create a per-page bounce rate report.
You can also add segments in exploration reports. For instance, you can filter bounce rate by "mobile users only" or "specific traffic channel only" for deeper analysis.
If your GA4 bounce rate is high, the key is to improve your engagement rate. Here are effective strategies.
First, improve page load speed. Slow pages cause users to leave before the 10-second engagement threshold. Optimize images, reduce unnecessary scripts, and leverage caching.
Second, review your content quality. Ensure search intent matches your page content and that you capture user interest above the fold. Making users want to keep reading is key to improving engagement rate.
Third, optimize internal links to encourage navigation to a second page. Place related article links and CTA buttons in strategic positions.
If bounce rate is high for ad-driven traffic, review the alignment between ad copy and landing page content. Users leave quickly when there's a gap between what the ad promises and what the page delivers.
Finally, strengthen mobile optimization. For sites with heavy smartphone traffic, improving mobile usability and speed directly reduces bounce rate.
While there's no absolute standard for GA4 bounce rate, general benchmarks are roughly 20–40% for e-commerce sites, 25–55% for B2B sites, and 40–65% for blog content. However, since GA4 bounce rates tend to be lower than UA, you can't directly apply UA-era benchmarks. The most effective approach is to use your own site's historical data as a baseline and track improvement over time.
GA4's bounce rate is defined as "the percentage of sessions without engagement"—the inverse of engagement rate. Remember the formula: Bounce Rate = 100% − Engagement Rate.
Since bounce rate isn't shown by default in GA4 reports, add it as a metric through standard report customization or exploration reports. Use engagement rate as your primary metric as Google recommends, while also leveraging bounce rate to identify problem areas. When you find pages with high bounce rates, systematically review page speed, content quality, internal links, and mobile optimization.
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