GhazanfarApril 16, 20263 min read

GA4’s default session timeout is 30 minutes — after 30 minutes of inactivity, the next interaction starts a new session. This default works for most websites, but e-commerce stores, media sites, and long-form content publishers often find that 30 minutes creates artificially high session counts and broken attribution. Changing the session timeout has cascading effects on conversions, bounce rate, and channel attribution. This guide explains when to change it and what to expect.

How GA4 Session Timeout Works

A GA4 session starts when a user arrives on your site. It ends after 30 minutes of inactivity (no events fired). If the user returns after 30+ minutes — even on the same page — a new session starts. A session also ends at midnight in the property’s timezone, regardless of user activity.

When 30 Minutes Is Wrong

  • Long-form content: Users reading a 10,000-word article may pause for 35 minutes to watch a referenced video. GA4 splits this into two sessions — inflating session count and breaking the conversion attribution.
  • Video-heavy sites: Users watching a 45-minute webinar generate a session break in the middle. The second half of the watch is attributed to a new, “direct” session.
  • Shopping research: Users comparing products in multiple tabs may have 40-minute gaps. Their ultimate purchase gets attributed to “direct” instead of the original channel.

Changing Session Timeout in GA4

  • Go to GA4 Admin → Data Streams → Select your web stream → More tagging settings → Adjust session timeout
  • Options: 5 minutes to 7 hours (420 minutes)
  • This setting only affects future sessions — historical data uses the timeout that was set when sessions occurred
// You can also set session timeout via gtag configuration
gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX', {
  session_duration: 60  // Minutes; overrides Admin setting for this stream
});

// For media sites, 60-120 minutes is common
// For e-commerce with long comparison cycles: 60 minutes
// For B2B with long research sessions: 120 minutes
// For simple landing pages: 15-30 minutes is fine