question Google Analytics question

[NameGroove]

I am using Google Analytics to track the popularity of my names. Google defaults to "views" and "active users". However, when I look at "Average Engagement Time Per User", I often see 0s even though these names get a lot of "views" and "active users".

Does this mean those views are all bots? Or if someone has an ad blocker - is it that Google can't see how long they spent?

So looking at this single name above - what should I assume this is? Bots, ad blockers, or real people?

 

[Qezdabo]

I would also post this question in reddit: r/analytics and r/GoogleAnalytics
I think you will get better answers there.

 

[Bravo Mod Team]

Or if someone has an ad blocker - is it that Google can't see how long they spent?

This is the least likely; ad blockers that affect GA won't allow the visit to be recorded at all.

Most likely to least likely:

1. Bots
2. Visitor closed the page before the GA event that occurs every ~10 seconds to monitor engagement time.
3. Visitor's privacy settings

 

[Kyle Tully]

Yeah mostly bots and bounces.

 

[Tejaswi]

I am using Google Analytics to track the popularity of my names. Google defaults to "views" and "active users". However, when I look at "Average Engagement Time Per User", I often see 0s even though these names get a lot of "views" and "active users".

Does this mean those views are all bots? Or if someone has an ad blocker - is it that Google can't see how long they spent?

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So looking at this single name above - what should I assume this is? Bots, ad blockers, or real people?

Great question! If you're seeing a lot of views and active users but 'Average Engagement Time Per User' shows 0, there are a few possible reasons. One is that bots may be inflating your view counts—bots can trigger a page load but don’t generate engagement data. Another factor could be ad blockers or browser privacy settings, which can prevent Google Analytics from accurately tracking user behavior, including time spent on the page. Also, if users bounce quickly (leave without interacting), engagement time might not be recorded. It's worth checking your traffic sources and setting up bot filters in GA4 to get a clearer picture."

 

[DediRock]

Could be a mix — bots often inflate "views" while ad blockers can block engagement tracking. If engagement time is 0 but views are high, it’s likely either bots or blocked scripts.