What is a session in Google Analytics 4?

A session in Google Analytics 4 represents a single visit by a user to a website during which they interact with the site. During this visit, the user may generate multiple pageviews (visits to individual subpages), events (such as clicking a “buy now” button), or transactions.

Also learn how to interpret discrepancies in session data between GA and GSC!

In Google Analytics, a session does not last indefinitely – it has clearly defined rules for ending. By default, a session expires after 30 minutes. This means that if a user does not perform any interaction (e.g. reload a page, click, or trigger an event) for half an hour, Analytics considers the session to be finished. Any subsequent action after this time will start a new session.

It is worth noting that the session duration can be changed in the settings of Google Analytics 4. The maximum possible limit is 7 hours and 55 minutes.

In Google Analytics 4, it is possible to combine a user’s activity across different devices. If a user visits a website on a computer and then, within 30 minutes, accesses the same site on a mobile device, the activity will be attributed to the same session. This is possible thanks to the Google Signals feature, which allows the identification of the same user across different devices, provided that: the user is logged into the same Google account (e.g., the same email address), and Google Signals are enabled in GA4.

In Google Analytics 4, a session, like in Universal Analytics, by default expires after 30 minutes. However, unlike the older version of the tool, it is not reset at midnight or when the traffic source changes

An engaged session in Google Analytics 4 is a visit that meets at least one of the following conditions: it lasts at least 10 seconds, includes at least two pageviews, or registers a conversion.

The engagement rate in Google Analytics 4 shows what percentage of all sessions are engaged sessions. It is calculated as the ratio of engaged sessions to all sessions within a given period.

Example: Suppose a website recorded 1,000 sessions in a given period. Out of these, 650 sessions met the criteria for an engaged session, while 350 sessions did not. In this case, the engagement rate is: 650 / 1,000 = 65%.

The opposite of this metric is the bounce rate. In GA4, it represents the percentage of sessions that did not meet the criteria for an engaged session, meaning they:

• lasted less than 10 seconds,
• had only one pageview,
• and did not include any conversion.

If the engagement rate is, for example, 62%, it means that 62% of all sessions were engaged sessions, and the remaining 38% were non-engaged sessions, which corresponds to the bounce rate. These two metrics always add up to 100%.

Also read: How to prepare a basic report in GA4 and understand whether your marketing is working?

Data analysis in Google Analytics 4 is based on linking users, sessions, and events, which allows for a better understanding of how a website is used.

A user in GA4 is a unique person using a browser or device, who can generate multiple sessions if they visit the website at different times.

A session in GA4 represents a period of user activity on the site and groups all actions performed within a specific timeframe.

Every interaction, such as a pageview, starting to fill out a form, clicking an element, submitting a form, etc., is recorded as an event in GA4, which serves as the primary unit of data in the system.

Now that you know what sessions in GA4 are, what engaged sessions and the engagement rate are, and how they differ from users, it will be easier for you to interpret data in reports correctly. Consciously distinguishing these concepts helps avoid incorrect conclusions and better assess the effectiveness of a website or app. Keep in mind that immediately after implementing Google Analytics 4 on your site, all users will be marked as new. To compare data, you need to wait a while for the sample to become large enough and reliable