When exactly does a session end?

The most common rule is 30 minutes of inactivity; some tools also end sessions at midnight or on campaign change. The exact rule depends on the tool.

Session

Beginner

Updated Jul 11, 2026 Shahin editorial 2 min read

PronunciationEN/ˈsɛʃən/

A session is one continuous period of user activity on a site: it starts at entry and ends after a period of inactivity (commonly 30 minutes).

Everything the user does in that window — pageviews, clicks, purchases — belongs to that one session. Returning after the inactivity threshold starts a new session. Many metrics (session duration, pages per session, bounce rate) are built on this concept.

FAQ

Sources:Wikipedia — Session (web analytics)