Average Scroll Velocity

Average Scroll Velocity shows how quickly visitors move through different parts of a tracked page.

Overview

The chart divides the selected page into 5% vertical zones and calculates the average scrolling pace within each zone.

• The horizontal axis shows page-depth zones from 0%–5% through 95%–100%.
• The vertical axis shows average scroll velocity in percentage points per second.
• Desktop, mobile and tablet appear as separate columns when qualifying data exists.
• Background bands classify each result as Reading-like / slower, Mixed pace or Skimming-like / faster.

Use the chart to find sections where visitors slow down, scan quickly or move at a different pace from the rest of the page.

The pace labels are relative indicators. They do not prove that somebody read, understood or ignored a section.

Access and scope

Average Scroll Velocity is workspace-, website- and page-aware.

• The active workspace controls which websites are available.
• The website selector controls which tracked pages are available.
• A specific tracked page is required.
• The selected page must belong to a website assigned to the active workspace.
• Markets are not used.

Wheremore validates workspace access and page ownership whenever the chart loads.

Before you begin

You need:

1. A website assigned to the active workspace.
2. The Wheremore pixel installed on the website.
3. Tracking enabled.
4. The page added in Manage Session Tracking.
5. Processed scroll-time and scroll-aggregate data for the selected filters.

Recent visits may take time to pass through collection and background aggregation.

Quick start

1. Open the User Behaviour Dashboard.
2. Confirm the active workspace.
3. Select a website.
4. Select a tracked page.
5. Leave Referrer set to All Referrers.
6. Select an audience.
7. Select a date range.
8. Choose a device or leave Device set to All.
9. Compare the height and pace label of each page zone.
10. Review unusual zones in Page Engagement or Session Replay.

Apply the filters

Website and page

The chart requires a specific tracked page. Changing the website reloads the available pages, and changing the page replaces the chart data.

The page list comes from Manage Session Tracking. It is not a list of every URL found on the live website.

Audience

Choose:

• All traffic to include all qualifying activity;
• Prospects to include activity not classified as authenticated or identified; or
• Identified visitors to include activity classified as authenticated or identified by the tracking configuration.

Audience classification depends on the Cookie or Cookieless setup, authenticated-user rules and exclusions configured in Manage Session Tracking.

“Identified” is an audience classification. The chart does not reveal a visitor’s private identity.

Date range

Choose:

• 7 days
• 30 days
• 60 days
• 90 days

The selected range includes the current day.

A longer range normally produces a more stable pattern. However, it can also combine activity from different versions of the page.

Device

Choose:

• All
• Desktop
• Mobile
• Tablet

When All is selected, each device with qualifying data appears as a separate series.

Responsive layouts can move the same content to a different page depth. Compare Desktop and Mobile separately before deciding that a specific section is being skimmed.

Referrer

Average Scroll Velocity currently supports All Referrers only.

The underlying scroll aggregates do not contain a session-level referrer identifier. Wheremore therefore does not estimate or falsely attribute scroll pace to a selected referrer.

When a specific referrer is selected, the chart displays an explanatory message. Return the selector to All Referrers to view the report.

How scroll velocity is calculated

The page is divided into 20 zones:

• 0%–5%;
• 5%–10%;
• 10%–15%;
• and so on through 95%–100%.

For each zone and device, Wheremore:

1. totals the recorded time spent in the zone;
2. totals the corresponding qualifying sessions; and
3. calculates:

Scroll velocity = 5 percentage points × qualifying sessions ÷ total recorded seconds

For example, if a 5% zone contains 10 qualifying sessions and 25 seconds of recorded time, its average velocity is:

5 × 10 ÷ 25 = 2 percentage points per second

Higher values represent faster movement through the zone. Lower values represent slower movement.

Understand the pace bands

The chart does not use a universal reading-speed target. It creates relative thresholds from the selected page and filters.

First, Wheremore calculates the session-weighted median velocity across the displayed zones.

It then applies these bands:

• Reading-like / slower — velocity at or below 75% of the median;
• Mixed pace — velocity between 75% and 125% of the median; and
• Skimming-like / faster — velocity at or above 125% of the median.

Weighting the median by qualifying sessions gives better-supported zones more influence than zones based on very little activity.

These labels describe pace relative to the current selection. They are not a judgement of content quality and do not confirm attention.

Read the chart

Reading-like / slower

Visitors moved through the zone more slowly than the typical pace for the selected page and filters.

Possible explanations include:

• focused reading;
• complex or valuable content;
• an image, table or interactive element;
• hesitation or confusion;
• a slow-loading component; or
• a page left open while the visitor was inactive.

Compare the zone with time spent, clicks and session replays before treating it as successful engagement.

Mixed pace

The zone is close to the typical pace for the selected page.

This is a useful baseline. It does not mean that the content is performing well or poorly.

Skimming-like / faster

Visitors moved through the zone faster than the typical pace for the selected page and filters.

Possible explanations include:

• scanning headings;
• familiar or simple content;
• irrelevant content;
• a weak transition;
• a responsive layout difference; or
• visitors moving quickly towards a later section or call to action.

Fast movement can be efficient rather than negative. Check whether visitors subsequently click, convert or engage with later content.

A missing column

A missing column means the zone has no qualifying paired time-and-session measurement for that device.

Wheremore does not substitute a zero or invent a value.

Different device patterns

Desktop, mobile and tablet visitors can see different content order, spacing and navigation. A speed difference may reflect layout rather than intent.

Compare device-specific views in Page Engagement before changing the page.

Use the tooltip

Move over a column to see:

• the page-depth zone;
• device;
• average scroll velocity;
• pace signal;
• qualifying sessions; and
• total recorded time.

Use the session count to judge how much evidence supports a result. A dramatic result based on very few sessions should be treated cautiously.

Recommended workflow

1. Start with All traffic, 30 days, All devices and All Referrers.
2. Identify the slowest and fastest zones.
3. Check the qualifying session count in each tooltip.
4. Compare Desktop and Mobile separately.
5. Compare Scroll Depth vs Time Spent to distinguish slow movement from sustained time.
6. Compare Clicks vs Scroll Depth to see whether fast or slow zones also attract interaction.
7. Open Page Engagement to place the behaviour over the stored page screenshot.
8. Use Session Replay to inspect individual journeys behind unusual patterns.
9. Check conversion reporting before deciding whether a pace pattern is valuable.
10. Use Page Optimisation when a section needs a deeper structural or content review.

Analyse with AI

Use Analyse with AI after selecting the correct workspace, page, audience, date range and device.

The analysis should use the active filters and treat the pace labels as relative behavioural signals. Confirm important recommendations against:

• Page Engagement;
• Session Replay;
• Clicks vs Scroll Depth;
• Scroll Depth vs Time Spent; and
• conversion data.

Referrer-specific velocity is not currently available, so use All Referrers when asking Wheremore about this chart.

Data timing

The chart uses processed aggregate data rather than live events.

Recent visits may not appear immediately. Low-traffic pages and narrow audience or device selections can produce sparse results.

Changing workspace, page or filters replaces the previous result. Older unfinished requests cannot overwrite the latest selection.

What should I do next?

• Use Scroll Depth vs Time Spent to compare pace with time spent.
• Use Clicks vs Scroll Depth to compare pace with interaction.
• Use Page Engagement to locate each zone on the stored page screenshot.
• Use Session Replay to inspect individual visitor behaviour.
• Use the Conversions Dashboard to connect engagement with outcomes.
• Use Page Optimisation when the page structure or content needs review.
• Use Manage Session Tracking when a website or page is unavailable.

Troubleshooting

The chart asks me to select a workspace

Select an active workspace and confirm that your account owns it or has access to it.

The chart asks me to select a page

Select a website and then a tracked page. If the page is unavailable, add or enable it in Manage Session Tracking.

A specific referrer produces a message instead of a chart

This is expected. Select All Referrers. Exact referrer attribution is not stored with the current scroll aggregates.

No data appears

• Confirm the page is tracked.
• Confirm tracking is enabled.
• Select All traffic.
• Select All devices.
• Select All Referrers.
• Increase the range to 30, 60 or 90 days.
• Allow recent activity to finish processing.

Identified visitors show no data

The selected page and range may contain no scroll activity classified as identified. Review the authenticated-user configuration in Manage Session Tracking, increase the date range or select another page.

One device is missing

No qualifying paired time-and-session data exists for that device under the current filters.

Some page zones are missing

The missing zones do not have both positive recorded time and a positive qualifying session count. Wheremore omits them rather than displaying a misleading value.

Every result looks unusually fast

• Check that the correct page and device are selected.
• Check the qualifying session counts.
• Compare with Scroll Depth vs Time Spent.
• Review the same sessions in Session Replay.
• Consider whether the page changed during the selected date range.

Every result looks unusually slow

Long recorded time can include hesitation, inactivity or an open browser tab. Compare Page Engagement and Session Replay before assuming visitors were reading.

The chart says that velocity data could not be loaded

• Refresh the dashboard to renew the security token.
• Confirm the page belongs to a website assigned to the active workspace.
• Confirm both scroll source tables contain matching data.
• Check the server error log for a database error.
• Confirm only the current standalone velocity backend is active.

The chart library could not be loaded

Confirm Highcharts loaded on the User Behaviour Dashboard and check for an earlier JavaScript error.

Frequently asked questions

Is a higher velocity better?

No. A higher value means faster movement. It can indicate efficient scanning, irrelevant content or movement towards a later action.

Is a lower velocity better?

No. A lower value can indicate reading, complexity, hesitation, inactivity or a slow component.

Does Reading-like mean visitors definitely read the section?

No. It means the measured pace was slower than the relative threshold for the selected page and filters.

Does Skimming-like mean visitors ignored the section?

No. Fast movement may be appropriate for simple, familiar or navigational content.

Are the pace thresholds the same on every page?

No. They are calculated from the session-weighted median of the current page and filter selection.

Why do the labels change when I change filters?

Changing the audience, device, date range or page changes the underlying velocity distribution and therefore its relative median and thresholds.

Does the chart show unique visitors?

No. It uses qualifying aggregate session counts and recorded time.

Can I filter by referrer?

Not accurately with the current aggregate tables. Select All Referrers.

Does the chart use markets?

No. It is scoped by workspace, website and tracked page.

Does Wheremore alter my website?

No. This is a read-only report.