When Will Google Analytics End A Session By Default
By default, Google Analytics ends a session after 30 minutes of user inactivity.Â
Now the question comes what happens when sessions end unexpectedly?Â
Let’s say someone visits your blog, reads for 20 minutes, gets distracted, and returns after an hour. GA will end their session after 30 minutes of inactivity. When they come back, it’s logged as a new session—even if they’re still on the same page.
Here are some considerations for when GA ends a session by default:
- The 30 minute time frame is the default timeline. It can be customized.
- The timeline based on the assumption of prolonged inactivity. There’s no movement, scrolls or clicks by user.
- If the visitor returns back after a invalid i.e expired session and refreshes, a new session will begin.
- According to GA guidelines, sessions can also end at end of the day i.e midnight.Â
But now we, have Google Analytics 4 (GA 4). In that, there are some modifications on when a session will end.Â
Over and above the pointers, in GA4 –
- Sessions donot end on midnight and continues as long as there is some activity on the website or app.
- Google generates session IDs (ga_session_id) and session numbers (ga_session_number). These metrics are used to identify when and how many no. of sessions were started by user till the current session.
What Happens When A Session Expires In Google Analytics?
In simole words, a session is a time frame during which a user interacts with your website or app.
An engaged session is the one that-
- Lasts more than 10 seconds of view time
- Has a key event triggered by visitor’s action
- has at least two pageviews or screenviews
When the above conditions are not met, a session is considered expired, and a new one begins.
But what happens when a session expires in GA?
Well, your SEO metrics like bounce rates, session counts etc may be misinterpreted. All this impacts your website performance.
The critical metrics affected are:
Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is the opposite of engagement rate. So, if a session ends without triggering any engagement (like clicks or additional pageviews), it’s marked as a “bounce,” inflating your bounce rate.
Suppose Mr A visits your website, skims some content and within less than 10 seconds he leaves. He didn’t satify any of the criteria of an engaged session (the session was less than 10 seconds, no key event occurred, and there were not 2 pageviews). So, this will count as bounce rate.
Time on Page
Expired sessions can lead to underreported page engagement since the “time on page” stops tracking when a session ends.
Conversions
Key actions like form submissions or purchases may be attributed to a new session if the user completes them after a timeout. This can fragment conversion data, making it harder to understand the user’s full journey.
If you wish to detect expired sessions –
- Check timestamps between two consecutive activities in your user activity reports.
- Calculate session counts (with help of GA session numbers).
- Analyze user’s behaviour flow patterns
What Are The Default Timeout Settings In Google Analytics?
The default timeout duration in GA is 30 minutes, but this can be adjusted to better suit your website’s needs.
Customizing session timeouts is straightforward.
In Universal Analytics (UA) you can change the session timeline by following these simple steps:
- Open your GA Admin panel.
- Go to Tracking Info and select Session Settings.
- Adjust the Session Timeout slider to your preferred duration.
- Save the changes.
In GA 4, to change a session timeout follow these steps:
- Click on the Admin icon at bottom of your GA dashboard.Â
- Select Property > Data Streams.
- Now scroll to bottom and click on Configure tag settings
- Click Adjust session timeout (maximum: 7 hours 55 minutes) and save the changes.
While it is not recommended to modify the session timeout unless there are some reasons to do so. Let’s understand them in detail in the next section below.
When Should You Modify Session Timeout Duration?
By modifying the sessions you can control how long a user stays on your site. Here are some scenarios for Modification
For Long-form Content or Tools
If your website features lengthy articles, videos, podcasts, then extending the session duration ensures accurate engagement tracking.
Low-Activity Interactions
Industries like e-learning or customer support may need longer timeouts to accommodate inactive periods.
Here are our tips to have best user experience and traffic by time froma modification:
- Balance is the key – Avoid overly short or long durations to maintain realistic session data.
- Monitor Metrics – Check for unintended changes in session or bounce rates post-modification.
- Test Before Deployment – Run tests to assess how new settings align with user engagement
How Does Google Analytics Handle Session Expiry?
Google Analytics ends a session after 30 minutes of inactivity (default) or when users trigger specific events.
Interaction Rules Resetting Timers:
- Events: Social interactions, eCommerce actions, or triggered events restart the timer.
- New Page Visits: Loading a new page within 30 minutes refreshes the session.
What Factors Influence Session Expiry?
In Google Analytics, a session groups all user interactions within a set time frame.Â
However, certain conditions dictate when a session expires and a new one begins. They are:
Time-Based Expiration
The 30-minute rule is the most common cause of session expiry. By default, a session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity, but this duration can be adjusted in the settings. Here’s how it works:
If a user visits your website and stops interacting for more than 30 minutes, the session is marked as expired.
If the user resumes activity after the 30-minute window, Google Analytics starts a new session.
2. Campaign-Based Expiration
A session ends whenever a user’s campaign source changes, even if the original session is still active.
Campaign changes occur in the following scenarios:
- Switching from one paid campaign to another (e.g., from a Google Ads link to an email campaign).
- Clicking on a link from a different referring site (e.g., a.com to b.com).
- Using a different UTM-tagged URL to access the website.
3. End-of-Day Expiry
In Universal Analytics (UA), sessions expire automatically at midnight regardless of user activity.Â
For example, if a user begins browsing your site at 11:55 PM and continues until 12:10 AM, UA would record two sessions—one ending at 11:59:59 PM and another starting at 12:00 AM.
But now, this rule does not apply. Sessions in GA4 remain active across midnight as long as there is no 30-minute inactivity.
Frequently Asked Questions About When Will Google Analytics End A Session By Default
Google Analytics ends sessions by default after 30 minutes of inactivity or when specific events, such as campaign changes, occur.
The default timeout duration in GA is 30 minutes, but it can be adjusted based on your website’s needs.
