Pageview

A pageview, also known as a page impression, is a request to load a single HTML document (web page) of a website. It is a commonly used metric in web analytics to measure the number of times a specific page has been visited. Each time a visitor accesses a URL on a website, that counts as a pageview. Refreshing a page also typically increments the pageview count.

Pageviews differ from "visits" (also sometimes called "sessions") or "unique pageviews." A visit represents a sequence of actions taken by a single user during a continuous period of activity on a website. A single visit can encompass multiple pageviews. Unique pageviews, on the other hand, aggregate pageviews generated by the same user during the same session, meaning that if a user views the same page multiple times during a single session, it is only counted as one unique pageview.

Pageviews are a basic and widely understood metric, but can be misleading if used in isolation. High pageview counts do not necessarily indicate engagement, as a user could be rapidly navigating between pages to find specific information or might be clicking repeatedly due to errors. Therefore, pageviews are typically considered alongside other metrics like bounce rate, time on page, conversion rate, and unique visits to gain a more comprehensive understanding of website performance and user behavior.