Analytics Session
A group of user interactions on your website that occur within a defined time window, typically ending after 30 minutes of inactivity.
Why It Matters
Sessions are a core unit of measurement — they tell you how many distinct visits your site receives and how users behave within each visit.
How It Works
A session begins when a user loads a page and ends after 30 minutes of inactivity or at midnight. GA4 also starts a new session when the traffic source changes. Metrics like pages per session and session duration describe engagement quality.
Real-World Example
A user visits a blog post, reads for 5 minutes, clicks to a product page, and leaves — that counts as one session with two page views.
Common Mistakes
Confusing sessions with users or page views
Not adjusting session timeout for long-form content sites
Related Terms
The percentage of sessions where a user lands on a page and leaves without any meaningful engagement or additional page views.
The average number of pages a user views during a single session on your website.
The average amount of time users spend viewing a specific page before navigating away or ending their session.
Analytics Session FAQs
How long is a session in GA4?
A session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity by default; this timeout can be adjusted up to 7 hours in GA4 settings.
Can one user have multiple sessions?
Yes, if a user visits in the morning and returns in the evening, those are two separate sessions from one user.
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