Why Visits or Unique Visitors are More than Pageviews in Adobe Analytics

adobe analytics

Encountering a situation where visits or Unique Visitors exceed pageviews initiates a comprehensive investigation in Adobe Analytics. We should be breaking down the data based on relevant dimensions, such as a custom link, to isolate the issue. This breakdown unveils that events, particularly an event, triggering before the associated pageviews. This observation serves as a crucial clue directing attention to the root cause of the discrepancy.

Scenarios Leading to Visits or Unique Visitors Exceeding Pageviews in Adobe Analytics

Event Triggering Preceding Pageview:
- Hypothesis: Events firing before the associated pageviews could be a primary contributor.
- Scenario: In post-login pages, the “Login Completed” event triggers immediately upon page load, preceding the pageview. This premature activation might inflate the visit count without a proportional increase in pageviews.
Asynchronous Loading of Page Content:
- Hypothesis: Asynchronous loading of page content may cause delayed pageview tracking.
- Scenario: Certain page elements, such as dynamic content or asynchronous scripts, load after the initial page load. The delayed pageview tracking, juxtaposed with promptly triggered events, can result in recorded visits without a concurrent pageview.
Timing Discrepancies in Tracking Code Execution:
- Hypothesis: Timing issues in tracking code execution may lead to events firing before pageviews.
- Scenario: Variations in the loading time of tracking codes may cause events to be captured before the completion of pageview tracking. This often occurs when there are dependencies between different tracking mechanisms.
Cross-Domain Tracking Challenges:
- - Hypothesis: Cross-domain tracking issues might contribute to discrepancies.
  - Scenario: If the analytics tracking code isn’t configured to seamlessly handle cross-domain tracking, events on a subsequent domain may trigger before the pageview on the current domain. This can result in overreported visits.
User Navigation Abandonment:
- Hypothesis: Users navigating away from the page before complete loading may impact pageview tracking.
- Scenario: If users abandon a page before it fully loads, the pageview may not be recorded. However, events triggered by initial interactions could still be captured, leading to a disparity between visits and pageviews.
Browser Caching and Preloading:
- Hypothesis: Browser caching and preloading mechanisms might affect pageview accuracy.
- Scenario: Cached or preloaded pages might not trigger a pageview upon subsequent visits. Yet, events triggered by user interactions would still be recorded, contributing to an inflated visit count.

Solutions and Best Practices

Adjust Event Triggering Logic:
- Reevaluate the logic behind event triggering to ensure alignment with the sequence of user interactions. Events should ideally be triggered after the corresponding pageview to maintain data accuracy.
Optimize Asynchronous Loading:
- Ensure that asynchronous loading of page content does not adversely affect the timing of pageview tracking. Implement mechanisms to track pageviews once all critical elements are loaded.
Fine-Tune Tracking Code Execution:
- Coordinate the execution of tracking codes to minimize timing discrepancies. Utilize best practices to synchronize the firing of events with the completion of pageview tracking.
Verify Cross-Domain Tracking Setup:
- Thoroughly review and validate cross-domain tracking configurations. Ensure that the tracking code seamlessly handles transitions between domains, preventing events on subsequent domains from triggering before the associated pageview.
Implement Robust User Interaction Tracking:
- Enhance tracking mechanisms to account for user navigation patterns. Consider capturing intermediate interactions or events to mitigate discrepancies caused by users leaving pages before full loading.
Address Browser Caching and Preloading:
- Implement strategies to handle browser caching and preloading. Ensure that pageviews are appropriately triggered, even in scenarios where pages are cached or preloaded.

The discrepancy between visits and pageviews in Adobe Analytics unfolds as a multifaceted challenge, demanding a systematic investigation. By unraveling these scenarios and implementing optimized tracking practices, analysts can uphold the accuracy and reliability of data in Adobe Analytics, facilitating informed decision-making based on precise insights into user behavior.