Why Do Some Pages Display More Sessions Than Views in GA4?

When reviewing GA4 data in Looker Studio, it’s crucial to understand the distinction between sessions and views:

1. Several Page Views in One Session: A session in GA4 encapsulates all interactions with your website or app within a given time frame. On the other hand, an individual interaction with a page is denoted as a view. Consequently, a single session can house multiple views if a user revisits the same page. Still, each of those revisits will only register as one view.
2. Unrecorded Page Views in GA4: GA4 uses the ‘page_view’ event to log page views. In scenarios where this event isn’t recorded – say, due to a user having a JavaScript blocker – that specific page view remains uncounted. Notably, even if the ‘page_view’ event isn’t the session’s primary event, the session itself might still be recognized.
3. Custom Report Filters: Employing custom report filters can also create this discrepancy. For example, if your filter is set to only particular pages and a user accesses other non-filtered pages within the same session, only the filtered pages will contribute to the views, making the sessions metric appear inflated in comparison.

How Can You Address This Discrepancy?

1. Review the Affected Pages: Start by examining the specific pages that display more sessions than views. The ‘Pages and Screens’ report in GA4 will provide insights into the Views and Sessions metrics for each page. If there’s a difference, the sessions will naturally outnumber the views.
2. Identify the Root Cause: Once you’ve identified the discrepancy, try to discern its origin:
   • Are users frequently revisiting the same page within a session?
   • Are there any instances of unlogged page views in GA4?
   • Is a custom report filter excluding specific pages?
3. Implement Solutions: Upon determining the cause, you can take the necessary steps to resolve it. For instance:
   • If users recurrently return to the same page within a session, consider enhancing the page’s content or layout.
   • If GA4 is missing certain page views, seek remedies or workarounds to address this.
   • If a custom report filter is causing the discrepancy, adjust it to encompass all desired pages.

In conclusion, understanding the nuances of how GA4 operates and tracks data can clarify such discrepancies. Regularly reviewing and updating your tracking settings and filters can ensure accurate and insightful data representation in Looker Studio.