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What Is Session?
Analytics & Data
Updated 18 September 2026
Quick Answer
A session is a single visit to a website, encompassing all the actions a visitor takes (page views, clicks) within a defined period of continuous activity, typically ending after 30 minutes of inactivity.
Session vs. Unique Visitors — What's the Difference?
| Session | Unique Visitors | |
|---|---|---|
| What it counts | Each individual visit, even if the same person visits multiple times | Distinct individual people, counted once regardless of visit frequency |
Why It Matters
- It's a foundational analytics metric that other measures (like bounce rate and pages per session) are built from.
- Understanding it helps interpret analytics correctly — one person can generate multiple sessions across different visits.
How It Works
- A visitor arrives at a website, starting a session.
- All their actions (page views, clicks) during that visit are grouped into this one session.
- The session ends after a period of inactivity (commonly 30 minutes), or a new session begins on their next visit.
Key Takeaways
- A session is a single visit encompassing all actions within a period of continuous activity.
- It's distinct from unique visitors, which count individual people rather than visits.
- It's a foundational metric that other analytics measures are built from.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a session different from a unique visitor?
A session counts each individual visit; a unique visitor counts distinct people once, regardless of how many separate sessions they generate.
How long does a session last?
Typically ends after 30 minutes of inactivity by default in most analytics tools, though this can sometimes be configured.
Can one person generate multiple sessions?
Yes — if they visit your site multiple times across different days or after a period of inactivity, each visit counts as a separate session.