A session represents a single visit to your website. It begins when a user lands on your site and ends when they leave or after a period of inactivity (typically 30 minutes).
Session vs user
- User: A unique visitor (may have multiple sessions)
- Session: A single visit (may include multiple page views)
- Page view: A single page load
What triggers a new session
- First visit to the site
- 30+ minutes of inactivity
- New campaign parameters
- Different browser or device
Session metrics
- Session duration: How long the session lasted
- Pages per session: Average page views per session
- Engaged sessions: Sessions with meaningful interaction
- Session start/end: Entry and exit pages
GA4 sessions
In GA4, a session is measured slightly differently:
- Uses session_start event
- 30-minute timeout by default
- Can span midnight
Related Terms
Bounce Rate
The percentage of visitors who navigate away from a site after viewing only one page, without taking any action.
Google Analytics
A web analytics service by Google that tracks and reports website traffic, user behavior, and conversion data.
Page Views
A metric that counts the total number of times a specific page on a website has been viewed by visitors.
Unique Visitors
A metric that counts the number of distinct individuals who visit a website during a specific time period, regardless of how many times they visit.