Scroll Depth

What is scroll depth? Meaning & examples

Scroll depth is a website engagement metric that shows how far users scroll down a page before they leave, convert, or stop interacting. It’s usually reported as a percentage of the total page length (like 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) or as pixels.

Think of it as a visibility check for your content. A pageview tells you a page loaded. Scroll depth tells you whether people actually reached the sections you built to persuade them.

If someone lands on a blog page, scrolls until they reach the middle, then exits, their scroll depth for that session is roughly 50%. If they make it to the footer, it’s 100%.

Tip: Scroll depth tracking is typically focused on vertical scroll depth because that’s how people consume most content on web pages. Horizontal scroll exists (carousels, wide tables), but unless you’re running a design portfolio, a dashboard, or something with side-scrolling navigation, vertical behavior is what matters in CRO and content optimization.

Scroll depth calculation formula (with a simple example)

The most common scroll depth formula looks like this:

Scroll Depth (%) = (Furthest scroll point in pixels ÷ Total page height in pixels) × 100

Example:

• Total page height: 2,000 px

• Furthest a visitor scrolls: 800 px

Scroll depth = (800 ÷ 2,000) × 100 = 40%

This is why scroll depth is so useful: it gives you a clear signal of how far users scroll and whether important blocks lower down (pricing tables, testimonials, FAQ, product specs) are even being seen.

Why calculate scroll depth at all?

Because you can’t optimize what you can’t observe.

Scroll depth tells you:

• Whether your structure encourages visitors scroll or makes them bail early

• Where user attention drops off

• Whether your CTA placement matches real user behavior

• Whether content that took time (and money) to create is actually being consumed

Since around 2015, scroll depth has become a standard engagement KPI, especially as long-form content became a core growth channel. Once analytics tools matured—and especially after Google Analytics 4 made scroll tracking more accessible—monitoring scroll depth became part of everyday CRO work.

Why scroll depth matters

Scroll depth matters because it’s one of the fastest ways to understand how users interact with a page beyond the first screen. It’s not a vanity metric when you treat it correctly. It’s a diagnostic tool for conversion, UX, and content strategy.

Here’s why businesses care—and why CRO teams spend time improving it:

• It shows what visitors actually see: If your key value prop, social proof, pricing, or calls to action sit below the fold, scroll depth data tells you whether those sections even have a chance to convert.

• It reveals engagement drop-offs you can fix: Scroll depth percentages make “where people lose interest” visible. If 70% reach 25% but only 15% reach 75%, you’ve got a clear content or layout cliff.

• It helps you optimize content placement: Great sections placed too low don’t perform. Scroll depth tracking helps you move high-impact blocks higher based on how users tend to scroll, not your design instincts.

• It adds context to bounce rate and time on page: A bounce can mean “hated it” or “got the answer immediately.” When bounce rate is paired with scroll behavior, you get a more complete picture of what happened.

• It improves conversion analysis on long pages: If users scroll deeply but don’t convert, the issue might be calls to action clarity, trust, offer mismatch, or friction. If users don’t scroll far enough to even reach the calls to action, the issue is structure.

• It supports SEO indirectly through user satisfaction signals: Google doesn’t use scroll depth as a direct ranking factor, but deeper scrolls often correlate with longer sessions and reduced pogo-sticking (users bouncing back to search quickly). Those behaviors tend to align with better performance over time.

• It helps teams prioritize the right optimization work: Scroll depth is one of the quickest ways to decide whether you need better intros, tighter formatting, new visuals, or a reorganized page layout.

• It’s a “read vs skim” proxy when used with other metrics: On its own, scroll depth tells you reach. Combine it with time on page, click activity, and conversions and you can infer user interest and intent more accurately.

Important caveat: low scroll depth isn’t automatically bad. If a landing page converts at 35% scroll depth, that’s a win. The metric only becomes meaningful when you align it to the page goal and the user journey.

What is considered a good scroll depth?

There’s no universal “good scroll depth,” because the right number depends on the page type, content length, device, and intent. Still, benchmarks help you sanity-check your performance.

Here are practical ranges commonly used in 2025 reporting:

• Long-form content and guides (2,000+ words): 60–80% average scroll depth is typically strong. AgencyAnalytics cites this range as a healthy engagement target, and notes that drops below 25% can signal urgent design or content issues.

• Standard blog posts (800–1,800 words): 50–70% is a common healthy range, especially if the post delivers value early and holds attention through the core section.

• Landing page / lead gen pages: 40–60% can be perfectly fine when a primary call to action appears early. On a conversion-focused landing page, completion isn’t the goal—action is.

• E-commerce product pages: Highly variable (30–70%) depending on gallery size, review placement, specs, and page length. Mobile users often show 20–30% lower depth due to thumb-scrolling habits and shorter attention bursts.

The most useful benchmark isn’t industry averages. It’s your own site.

Compare scroll depth between your best-converting pages and weaker ones. If your top product pages average 65% and underperformers average 38%, you’ve found a gap worth investigating.

Also, set scroll depth goals. For example: “Raise average scroll depth on blog category X from 48% to 65% in Q1 2026.” That turns scroll depth from background noise into a real KPI connected to content strategy and website optimization.

How to track scroll depth: Web analytics tools for extracting scroll depth data

If you want scroll depth to drive decisions (not sit in a report), the setup has to do two things:

1. Capture how far users scroll on real web pages, and

2. Connect that scroll behavior to outcomes like time on page, bounce rate, user interaction, and conversions.

A single “scroll” metric isn’t enough. You want scroll depth data that tells you where attention drops, what content gets seen, and whether people are scrolling past your most important blocks.

Below are the four most practical ways to track scroll depth in 2025, with guidance on when each one makes sense and what can go wrong.

Track scroll depth with Google Analytics 4 (Enhanced Measurement)

Google Analytics 4 includes a built-in scroll event under Enhanced Measurement. If it’s enabled, GA4 automatically logs a scroll event when someone reaches about 90% scroll depth on a page.

This baseline tracking is useful for quick monitoring scroll depth across many web pages, especially if your goal is to spot pages with unusually low scroll depth or unusually high scroll depth and then investigate.

Where it falls short: GA4’s default setup doesn’t tell you much about where users drop off. If you’re trying to understand far users scroll, you need more than a single threshold near the bottom.

What you can learn with default GA4 scroll tracking:

• Which pages get “near-complete” consumption (90% scroll percentage)

• Which pages rarely reach the bottom, even with high traffic

• Early signals that content strategy is misaligned (traffic arrives, but user interest doesn’t carry through)

Where you’ll hit limits:

• You won’t see meaningful drop-off points (25%, 50%, 75%)

• The scroll depth result can be skewed on short pages (users hit 90% almost instantly)

• On some layouts, window load quirks and dynamic content can inflate scroll events

Pro tip: Treat GA4’s built-in scroll as a “completion flag.” Use it to identify candidate pages for deeper analysis. Then instrument multi-threshold scroll tracking through GTM or another tool.

Pros and cons (GA4 Enhanced Measurement)

Scroll depth tracking with Google Tag Manager (recommended for CRO)

If you want scroll depth to guide content optimization and website optimization, Google Tag Manager is the standard approach.

GTM lets you create a scroll depth trigger based on vertical scroll depth and fire events at specific thresholds. Instead of a single “90% reached” flag, you get a distribution of scroll depth percentages that shows exactly where people stop.

This is the setup most teams use when they want to connect scroll depth tracking to engagement metrics and business outcomes.

What GTM adds (and why it matters):

• Multiple scroll depth thresholds (25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, 100%)

• Clean event parameters (scroll percentage, page path, page type)

• Better segmentation (desktop users vs mobile users, blog page vs landing page)

• Stronger analysis for improving average scroll depth without guessing

How it works in practice:

1.In GTM, create a scroll depth trigger

• Choose vertical scroll depth

• Set scroll depth units to percentages

• Select thresholds: 25, 50, 75, 90, 100 (adjust per page type)

2.Fire a GA4 event tag when thresholds are reached

• Event name: scroll_depth (or similar)

• Parameters: percentscrolled, pagepath, page_type (if available)

3.Analyze in GA4 Explorations

• View scroll depth result distributions

• Compare scroll behavior across traffic sources, mobile devices, and landing page templates

• Pair with time on page, bounce rate, and conversions for a deeper understanding

Why this setup gives more valuable insights:

It tells you where user attention fades. That makes it easier to improve scroll depth deliberately:

• If users scroll to 25% but drop hard before 50%, the problem is usually structure, formatting, or a weak early section.

• If users hit 75% consistently but conversions are low, your calls to action or trust blocks may be underperforming.

• If mobile users show worse drop-off than desktop users, you likely have a mobile optimization issue: long heroes, cramped typography, awkward interactive elements, or poor spacing.

Common pitfalls:

• Very short pages can trigger thresholds too quickly (especially at window load)

• Infinite scroll changes total height while the session is active

• SPAs need route-change logic so scroll events match the right page content

• Too many thresholds across too many pages can bloat event volume

Pros and cons (GA4 + Google Tag Manager)

Scroll maps + session tools (Hotjar, Crazy Egg, Microsoft Clarity)

Scroll tracking is useful. Scroll maps are often faster to act on.

Tools like Hotjar, Crazy Egg, and Microsoft Clarity visualize scroll behavior so you can see where users tend to stop, which sections retain user attention, and whether important content is getting ignored.

This matters because scroll depth percentages can hide the “why.” Scroll maps show patterns that numbers miss.

What scroll maps show clearly:

• The exact sections where visitor engagement collapses

• Whether users interact with key blocks (forms, pricing, FAQs)

• How mobile users behave differently from desktop users

• Which layout decisions cause scrolling friction (long hero, dense text, awkward spacing)

Scroll maps also make it easier to tie scroll depth to content engagement. If your scroll map shows a steep drop right after a heavy paragraph block, you’ve found a practical fix: rewrite, add subheads, include relevant images, or split the section.

This is also where scroll maps are great for internal alignment. When stakeholders can see the drop-off line, conversations shift from opinion to evidence.

Where these tools shine:

• Diagnosing why low scroll depth happens

• Validating layout changes quickly

• Finding which sections deserve to move higher (or be cut)

Trade-offs:

• These are separate analytics tools with their own dashboards

• Some require consent due to session recording features

• You’ll still want GA4 event data for broader KPI reporting

Pros and cons (scroll maps + behavior tools)

Privacy-focused scroll depth tracking (Usermaven, Fathom) + custom events

If you’re working in a privacy-sensitive environment, or you’re seeing gaps due to ad blockers and consent limitations, privacy-first web analytics tools are worth considering.

Platforms like Usermaven or Fathom tend to be:

• More resilient when tracking is blocked

• Simpler to configure than classic enterprise analytics

• Strong on compliance and data ownership

Many of them let you measure scroll depth with configurable thresholds out of the box, without building a full Google Tag Manager setup.

What these tools are good for:

• Reliable scroll tracking in high-consent environments

• Cleaner dashboards for non-technical teams

• Faster setup for scroll depth tracking across multiple web pages

• Stronger data consistency on mobile devices where browser behavior varies

When custom events make sense:

If you need full control, you can implement custom scroll tracking:

• Set thresholds (25/50/75/100)

• Detect vertical scroll depth and scroll percentage in real time

• Send scroll events to your preferred endpoint

• Combine with interactive elements (clicks, form focus, video plays)

This approach is powerful, but it’s rarely worth it unless you have developers who can maintain it and QA it after design changes. Even small layout shifts can change scroll depth result behavior if you aren’t careful.

Pros and cons (privacy-first tools + custom tracking)

Which scroll tracking method should you use?

If you’re choosing based on impact:

• For most CRO teams: GA4 + Google Tag Manager is the best foundation for scroll depth tracking and diagnosing user behavior.

• For quick visibility: GA4 Enhanced Measurement is fine, but treat it as a starting point, not a complete solution.

• For fast UX insight: Scroll maps give the clearest view of user attention and content engagement.

• For privacy-heavy contexts: Privacy-first analytics tools are often more reliable than classic web analytics tools.

Whatever you choose, don’t judge scroll depth in isolation. Pair it with other metrics like…

Understanding user behavior better: Scroll depth and other metrics

Scroll depth only becomes truly useful when it’s paired with other engagement metrics. On its own, it tells you “reach.” It doesn’t tell you “quality.”

Here’s how to read it properly:

Scroll depth + time on page

• High scroll depth + high time on page usually signals real content engagement.

• High scroll depth + short time on page often means skimming, frustration, or searching for an answer that’s hard to find.

Scroll depth + bounce rate

• Low scroll depth + high bounce rate often points to mismatch, weak intro, slow load, or poor UX.

• High scroll depth + high bounce rate can still be fine if the user got the answer and left satisfied.

Scroll depth + conversions

• Low scroll depth + high conversions can indicate efficient UX (users find what they need fast).

• High scroll depth + low conversions can suggest friction, unclear CTA, weak offer, or missing trust.

This combination view is where scroll depth tells the truth. It gives you the complete picture of user behavior and a deeper understanding of why users interact the way they do.

Also: report scroll depth by template type (blog page, landing page, product page). Mixing everything together creates noise and hides patterns.

How to improve your website’s scroll depth: Best practices and tips

Scroll depth improves when a page earns attention step by step. People keep moving when the next screen promises something useful, clear, and easy to consume. When they stop, it usually comes down to one of four things: the page feels irrelevant, it feels hard to read, it feels slow, or it feels like it’s going nowhere.

Use scroll depth the same way you’d use a funnel report: locate the drop-off, diagnose the cause, fix it, and measure the change. With solid scroll tracking in place, every improvement becomes intentional instead of cosmetic.

Find the first “attention cliff” and fix what sits there

Start with evidence, not opinions.

In Google Analytics 4, pull scroll depth data by page type (blog page, landing page, product page). Then look for the first sharp drop between your scroll depth thresholds—often between 25% and 50%, or 50% and 75%. That gap tells you where users scroll confidently… and where they stop.

Once you know the drop-off point:

• Open the page and locate the exact section sitting at that depth

• Check whether the section delivers valuable information or just padding

• Look for friction signals: long paragraphs, unclear headings, jargon, intrusive UI, or a sudden shift in topic

• Compare with a similar page that has a higher average scroll depth and borrow the structure that works

If you’re using Google Tag Manager, make sure your scroll depth trigger fires at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% (or 100%). A single scroll event at 90% hides the real story.

Result: you end up optimizing one specific block tied to a measurable scroll depth result, not “the page in general.”

Make the first screen earn the first scroll

The top of the page decides whether people scroll at all. A weak opening often leads to low scroll depth, even if the rest of the content is strong.

Practical fixes that consistently lift early scroll behavior:

• Rewrite the first 2–3 lines to match intent immediately: Readers want confirmation that they landed on the right page. Say what the page solves, fast.

• Shrink tall hero sections on a landing page: If the page opens with a giant image and a vague headline, user engagement drops. Aim to show the headline, supporting line, and a meaningful start to the next section in the first viewport.

• Add one trust cue near the top: A logo strip, a short testimonial, a rating summary, or an “Updated in 2025” note reduces bounce rate and keeps users moving.

• Use a “what you’ll get” bullet preview for long content: This works well for blog posts and guides because it gives orientation without forcing a scroll commitment upfront.

You’ll usually see the impact quickly in web analytics: fewer early exits, improved scroll percentage at 25%, and longer time on page.

Keep momentum with clear structure and frequent “restart points”

Users tend to scroll in bursts. They scan, pause, decide, then continue. Pages that look like a wall of text turn those pauses into exits.

Add restart points so the page feels easy to continue:

• Use descriptive headings every 200–300 words (headings that tell readers what they’ll learn)

• Keep paragraphs short and visually separated

• Turn dense explanations into steps, checklists, comparisons, or decision trees

• Use callouts for key takeaways so readers can re-enter the content without rereading

If you notice low scroll depth combined with high time on page, readers may be stuck in a confusing section rather than engaged. That’s a structure problem, not a topic problem.

Place relevant images where attention fades (not where design looks empty)

Visuals work best when they’re targeted.

Open your scroll depth tracking report and identify the depth where users start dropping. Place a visual anchor right before that section or inside it:

• a relevant image that illustrates the point

• a diagram or short table

• a screenshot

• a short clip or GIF

• a comparison box

That “anchor” moment often interrupts skimming and resets user attention. It also improves content engagement by giving the reader an easier way to process the next idea.

A content agency case study found that adding relevant images at the 40% depth mark boosted engagement by 67%. Use that as a playbook: find your 40–50% cliff and test a visual insert there.

Build a mid-page re-hook (where most pages lose people)

Most drop-offs happen in the middle. That’s where curiosity fades and effort starts to feel higher.

Mid-page tactics that reliably improve scroll depth:

• Add a “Quick recap” box around the midpoint

• Introduce a fresh angle: a stat, a mistake to avoid, a mini example

• Split one long section into two shorter ones with clearer headings

• Remove repeated points and tighten transitions

• Add a mid-page CTA that matches intent at that moment

This is especially important on a long blog page. Readers are willing to continue when the next section feels sharper than the last.

Use interactive elements that reward effort and reduce scanning

Interactive elements can lift scroll depth and user interaction, but only when they solve a real problem.

High-performing interactive elements include:

• a table of contents with jump links (especially for long content)

• collapsible FAQ sections

• calculators (ROI, pricing, savings)

• product fit quizzes

• filterable comparisons

• expandable definitions for technical terms

These elements keep users interacting instead of scrolling past. They also generate valuable scroll data because you can track clicks and expansions as engagement metrics in Google Analytics.

Two rules that keep interaction from becoming friction:

• Make interactions fast and reliable on mobile devices

• Put them where the reader has enough context to use them properly (often after an early explanation, not at the top)

Place CTAs where people actually are (then verify with scroll data)

Scroll depth should directly influence CTA placement.

A simple approach that works across most web pages:

• One primary CTA within the first 25–30%

• One secondary CTA after the first major value block

• One final CTA near the conclusion for readers who reach deeper scrolls

On a landing page, this often means repeating the CTA multiple times and keeping it consistent. On educational content, softer CTAs (newsletter, checklist, related guide) tend to convert better because they match user interest at that stage of the user journey.

Then validate the change using key performance indicators: conversion rate, scroll depth, time on page, and bounce rate together.

Fix mobile scroll friction before rewriting content

Mobile optimization issues can quietly destroy users' scroll behavior.

Even when mobile users scroll more, they abandon faster when the page feels annoying or slow.

Common culprits:

• huge hero sections and oversized headers

• cramped text (small font, tight line spacing)

• sticky bars that consume the screen

• popups that fire early and block page content

• heavy media that slows scrolling

• touch targets that make interactive elements frustrating

Segment scroll tracking by device. If mobile devices show much lower scroll depth than desktop users on the same page, fix the layout first. Content edits won’t solve a UI problem.

Scroll depth & Related topics

Scroll depth rarely stands alone. It becomes far more powerful when it’s used alongside related CRO concepts that explain why users scroll (or stop scrolling).

• Below The Fold: Scroll depth tells you whether visitors ever reach content below the fold—and how far down that threshold really is by device.

• Click Map: Combine scroll maps with click maps to see where users interact and whether key elements get both visibility and engagement.

• Exit Rate: A spike in exits at a specific scroll percentage often pinpoints the exact section where interest drops or confusion starts.

• Conversion Funnel: Scroll depth helps validate whether users reach the steps that move them through the funnel (pricing, proof, CTA, form).

• Information Scent: When headings and cues match intent, users scroll deeper. Weak information scent causes early drop-off.

• Conversion Copywriting: Stronger copy above the fold and sharper transitions between sections directly affect scroll behavior and conversions.

Key takeaways

• Scroll depth measures how far users scroll on a page, usually as a percentage or pixels, and it helps explain user interaction beyond pageviews.

• Good scroll depth depends on page type. Long-form guides often aim for 60–80%, while a landing page can succeed at 40–60% if it converts early.

• Scroll depth is most useful when paired with other metrics like time on page, bounce rate, and conversion rate to avoid false conclusions.

• The best tracking setup for most teams is GA4 + Google Tag Manager, with multiple scroll depth thresholds and clean event parameters.

• To improve scroll depth, focus on the first screen, readability, navigation (TOCs), CTA placement informed by scroll data, and early trust signals.

FAQ about Scroll Depth