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Avg. Products Viewed is the average number of different product pages each session visited. It’s based on page URLs, not on view_content events.

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Formula

Avg. Products Viewed = SUM ( distinct product page URLs per session ) ÷ Number of sessions
Session metrics are calculated from Upstack’s session records. They aren’t offered in the dashboard metric picker.

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What counts as a product view

Each time a visitor leaves a page, the Upstack Pixel sends the page’s path and query string. The session adds the page to its product list when both of these are true:
  1. The path starts with /products/, the URL pattern Shopify stores use for product pages.
  2. That exact path and query string isn’t already in the session’s list.
The URL rule has consequences worth knowing: Every session counts in the denominator, including sessions that saw no product pages.

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Worked example

Five sessions on a Shopify store selling in English and French: Avg. Products Viewed = (2 + 2 + 0 + 0 + 1) ÷ 5 = 1.0. Session D looked at two products, but the French locale prefix kept them out. Session A looked at one product and counts two because a variant parameter changed the URL.

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How to interpret it

  • Check your URL structure first. If your product URLs use a locale prefix or a different pattern, this metric undercounts or reads zero. Use Avg. View Contents per Session instead. It counts every view_content event, repeats included, so it isn’t a distinct count.
  • Variant parameters inflate it. Stores that change the URL when a shopper picks a size or color can show higher values without more browsing.
  • Use it to compare traffic sources. Compare by landing page or UTM source to see which traffic browses the catalog.
  • Read it with funnel progress. Several products viewed and no cart can mean shoppers are comparing and not finding a fit. See Avg. Funnel Stage.

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FAQ

Your product URLs probably don’t start with /products/, for example because of a locale prefix such as /fr/. The count is based on the URL path.
Not if the URL is identical. A different query string, such as a variant parameter, makes it count as a separate entry.
No. View Content counts view_content events your site tracks. This metric counts distinct product page URLs from the pixel’s page-end messages.
See all Session metrics →