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Sessions

The number of sessions is the total number of visits in the selected period in GA4. Unlike UA, there is no automatic separation when midnight or campaign changes, so it is less than UA for the same period, and the quantity and quality of visits are evaluated along with the number of engaged sessions.

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The number of sessions is a basic indicator of traffic volume along with the number of users. If a user visits multiple times, each visit is counted as a separate session, so the number of sessions is always equal to or greater than the number of users. Dividing the number of sessions by the number of users gives the number of sessions per user. A higher value means a higher frequency of repeat visits.

In GA4, sessions end after 30 minutes of inactivity by default, and new sessions do not automatically start after midnight or when campaigns change. This is a big difference from UA and is the main reason why the number of GA4 sessions during the same period is lower than UA.

GA4 screen path: Reports > Overview or check the 'Sessions' metric by default in the traffic acquisition report. When viewed together with the number of engaged sessions and bounce rate, the quantity and quality of visits can be evaluated together.

Key takeaways

  • This is the total number of sessions that occurred during the selected period.
  • It is always equal to or greater than the number of users, and the frequency of revisits is determined by the ratio of the two indicators.
  • In GA4, the session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity, and unlike UA, there is no automatic disconnection at midnight or when changing campaigns.
  • When viewed together with the number of engaged sessions, you can see the actual engagement rate among all sessions.

References

Frequently asked questions

Why is my GA4 session count 10-20% lower than UA?

GA4 does not automatically start a new session even after midnight, and does not separate sessions when the campaign changes. UA starts a new session in those cases, while GA4 does not. This difference is not an anomaly, but rather a change in the counting method.

How do I determine the cause of a decrease in the number of sessions?

① Determine the point of decrease by comparing dates, ② Check the sessions for each channel to determine whether the decrease is for a specific channel or a sitewide decrease, ③ If there is a decrease in organic search, check changes in exposure and clicks in Search Console, ④ If there is a decrease in ad inflow, check the budget and status on the advertising platform, ⑤ Check whether the GA4 measurement is operating correctly using DebugView.

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