Calculating bounce rate is a fundamental task for web analysts and SEO professionals. The bounce rate represents the percentage of visitors who enter your site and then leave ("bounce") rather than continuing to view other pages within the same site.
The Mathematical Formula
The standard formula for calculating bounce rate is:
If you have exported your data from Google Analytics or another tracking tool into a CSV or Excel file, follow these steps to calculate the rate manually:
Prepare your columns: Ensure you have a column for "Sessions" (Total Visits) and a column for "Bounces" (or Single-Page Sessions).
Input the Data:
Column A: Total Sessions (e.g., cell A2)
Column B: Bounced Sessions (e.g., cell B2)
Apply the Formula: In cell C2, enter the following formula:
=B2/A2
Format as Percentage: By default, Excel might show a decimal like 0.45. To convert this to a percentage:
Bounce rates vary significantly by industry and page type. A high bounce rate isn't always bad (e.g., on a blog post where the user finds the answer and leaves). However, for e-commerce or landing pages, lower is generally better.
26% – 40%: Excellent (Often indicates high engagement)
41% – 55%: Average
56% – 70%: Higher than average (May need optimization)
70%+: High (Common for blogs/news, bad for e-commerce)
Use the calculator above to quickly verify your numbers before setting up your automated reports in Excel or Google Sheets.
function calculateBounceRate() {
// 1. Get input elements
var totalSessionsInput = document.getElementById("totalSessions");
var bouncedSessionsInput = document.getElementById("bouncedSessions");
var resultBox = document.getElementById("resultBox");
var finalRateDisplay = document.getElementById("finalRate");
var analysisText = document.getElementById("analysisText");
var errorDisplay = document.getElementById("errorDisplay");
// 2. Parse values
var total = parseFloat(totalSessionsInput.value);
var bounces = parseFloat(bouncedSessionsInput.value);
// 3. Reset error state
errorDisplay.style.display = "none";
resultBox.style.display = "none";
// 4. Validation
if (isNaN(total) || isNaN(bounces)) {
errorDisplay.innerText = "Please enter valid numbers for both fields.";
errorDisplay.style.display = "block";
return;
}
if (total <= 0) {
errorDisplay.innerText = "Total sessions must be greater than 0.";
errorDisplay.style.display = "block";
return;
}
if (bounces total) {
errorDisplay.innerText = "Bounced sessions cannot be higher than total sessions.";
errorDisplay.style.display = "block";
return;
}
// 5. Calculation
var rateDecimal = bounces / total;
var ratePercentage = rateDecimal * 100;
// 6. Display Result
finalRateDisplay.innerText = ratePercentage.toFixed(2) + "%";
// 7. Dynamic Analysis Text based on Industry Standards
var analysis = "";
if (ratePercentage <= 40) {
analysis = "This is an excellent bounce rate indicating high user engagement.";
} else if (ratePercentage <= 55) {
analysis = "This is an average bounce rate. Standard for most websites.";
} else if (ratePercentage <= 70) {
analysis = "This is slightly higher than average. Consider optimizing page load speed or content relevance.";
} else {
analysis = "This is a high bounce rate. While normal for blogs, check for technical errors or intent mismatch on landing pages.";
}
analysisText.innerText = analysis;
resultBox.style.display = "block";
}