Session
A group of interactions that take place on a website within a given time frame, attributed to a single visit.
Full definition
In Google Analytics, a session is a group of user interactions (page views, events, transactions) that take place within a defined period. In Universal Analytics, sessions expired after 30 minutes of inactivity or at midnight. GA4 uses a different session model based on events rather than hits, with session_start events triggering new sessions. Sessions are the foundation of many analytics metrics: pages per session, bounce rate (in UA), session duration, and goal completions per session. Sessions differ from users — a single user can have multiple sessions across different days or devices. Understanding the session model is important for correctly interpreting traffic reports and identifying data anomalies.
Real-world example
A user visits a blog post on Tuesday, leaves, then returns on Thursday via a Google ad. This counts as 2 separate sessions from 1 user — the second attributed to the paid search channel.
Related terms
Google's current analytics platform, using an event-based data model designed for cross-device and cookieless measurement.
Read definitionThe percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page without taking any action.
Read definitionTags added to URLs that let analytics tools identify the source, medium, and campaign driving traffic.
Read definitionThe process of measuring specific user actions — purchases, sign-ups, calls — that represent business goals.
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