When Will Google Analytics End A Session By Default

Google Analytics ends a session by default when certain conditions are met. A session in Google Analytics represents a group of user interactions with your website that occur within a given time frame. Here’s how sessions end by default:

Default Session Timeout

1. After 30 Minutes of Inactivity:
   • A session ends if there is no activity (e.g., pageviews, events, transactions) from the user for 30 minutes.
   • If the user becomes active again after 30 minutes of inactivity, Google Analytics starts a new session.
2. At Midnight:
   • A session ends automatically at midnight in the reporting time zone, regardless of user activity. If the user continues interacting after midnight, a new session starts.
3. When Campaign Source Changes:
   • A session ends when the source of the traffic changes. For example:
     • If a user visits your site through a Google search and later clicks a link in an email to revisit, a new session starts due to the change in the traffic source.
     • This applies even if the two visits happen within the 30-minute inactivity window.

Adjustable Session Timeout

The default session timeout of 30 minutes can be modified. You can adjust it to anywhere between:

• 1 minute and 4 hours in your Google Analytics settings.

Scenarios That Trigger a New Session

• User leaves the website and comes back after 30 minutes.
• User closes the browser and later revisits the website.
• User returns via a different traffic source or campaign.
• Midnight occurs during a user’s visit (session splits across two days).

Conclusion

By default, a Google Analytics session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity, at midnight, or when the traffic source changes. However, you can adjust the session timeout settings to better suit your website’s needs. Understanding session behavior is key to accurately interpreting user activity in your analytics reports.