What counts
A pageview is recorded when the tracking script reports that a page has been shown. Reloading the page records another. Opening the same page in two tabs records two. The measure is a view, not a person, which is why it is always larger than the number of sessions and of unique visitors.
Pageview, session, visitor
Take one person who reads three articles on a Monday and returns on Wednesday for one.
- Pageviews: four.
- Sessions: two, one per visit.
- Unique visitors: one, if the tool can recognise the person across both days, and two if it cannot. In cookieless mode recognition lasts a day, so the count differs by design.
Each number answers a different question. Pageviews show how much content gets read, sessions how often people come, and visitors how many people there are.
Single-page apps
Frameworks such as Next.js, SvelteKit and React Router change the address and the content without loading a new document. A script that only reports on the first load would see one pageview for a whole visit. Trackers therefore watch the browser's history and report a pageview when the route changes. If a tool misses this, the symptom is a very low pageview count and a very high bounce rate on a site that is in fact busy. The stack guides under analytics for your stack cover the install for each framework.
Why totals differ between tools
Two tools measuring the same site rarely match. The usual causes:
- Blocking. Extensions can stop a script from loading or sending, so those visits are missing.
- Bots. One tool filters automated traffic and another counts it. See bot traffic.
- Rules. Some ignore reloads in quick succession, or pages that were open for less than a moment.
- Hosting. A script served from your own domain is blocked less often than one from a third-party host.
A gap between tools is normal and is not a sign that either is broken. Pick one tool for trends and compare it with itself.
Why plans are measured in pageviews
Pageviews are what the server has to receive, store and aggregate, so they track cost directly. Most analytics pricing is sized in them, sometimes together with events. Check what a plan counts: a pageview, a custom event such as a click on a button, or both. On trckable the counts are pageviews and custom events across all your sites, and the pricing page lists the sizes.
Try it in trckable
trckable's plans are sized in pageviews and custom events, so the number on your dashboard is the number your plan counts. See the plans
Related terms
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