What is bounce rate?

Bounce rate is the share of visits in which someone views only one page and then leaves. Example: 100 people arrive, 40 of them leave without opening a second page – your bounce rate is 40%. It hints at whether a page meets expectations; it is not a grade for the whole site.

Simple definition

In PureMetrix, bounce rate is the percentage of visits with exactly one pageview. A visitor lands, does not open another page during that visit, and the visit ends. That matches how most teams use the term.

Bounce is not the same as exit rate. Exit rate shows how often a specific page is the last page of a visit, even if the visitor saw other pages before. Bounce is only about single-page visits.

When high bounce is fine

Help articles, opening-hours pages and short “what does X mean” posts often bounce once the job is done. The visitor got the answer. Worrying about bounce on those pages wastes time.

Sales landing pages, pricing pages and checkout entry pages are different. High bounce there usually means the first screen did not match what the ad or search result promised, or the page was slow.

How to use it in PureMetrix

Compare bounce on the same page before and after a change
Split by device and campaign when you can
Look at bounce together with a conversion goal, so you notice if a lower bounce rate comes with fewer leads

Related metrics

Pageview — the unit bounce is based on.
Session / visit — the container for pageviews.
Exit rate — how often a page is the last one viewed in a visit.
How to reduce bounce rate — practical fixes on any stack.

If bounce jumps after a redesign, compare mobile vs desktop and paid vs organic before blaming the template. Visitors from paid ads who do not know you yet often bounce more than people searching for your brand, even on the same page.

Diagnose before redesigning

If bounce jumps after a redesign, check these points in order before rewriting half the site:

Mobile vs desktop split
Paid vs organic (visitors from paid ads often bounce more on the same page)
Mismatch between what the ad or search result promised and the first screen