Filter: wpd_session_timeout_seconds

Control the session timeout duration in seconds. Sessions expire after this period of inactivity.

Description

Alpha Insights tracks user sessions for traffic analytics. A session expires after a period of inactivity (no events). This filter allows you to customize the timeout duration to match your business needs or analytics requirements.

Location

File: includes/classes/WPD_Session_Tracking.php

Methods: WPD_Session_Tracking::get_or_create_session() and WPD_Session_Tracking::is_session_expired()

Lines: ~317 and ~405

Parameters

Return

Type: int

Description: Modified timeout in seconds (must be a positive integer)

Example Usage

Increase Session Timeout to 1 Hour

add_filter( 'wpd_session_timeout_seconds', 'increase_session_timeout' );
function increase_session_timeout( $timeout_seconds ) {
    // 1 hour = 3600 seconds
    return 3600;
}

Decrease Session Timeout to 15 Minutes

add_filter( 'wpd_session_timeout_seconds', 'decrease_session_timeout' );
function decrease_session_timeout( $timeout_seconds ) {
    // 15 minutes = 900 seconds
    return 900;
}

Google Analytics Compatible Timeout

add_filter( 'wpd_session_timeout_seconds', 'ga_compatible_timeout' );
function ga_compatible_timeout( $timeout_seconds ) {
    // Google Analytics default: 30 minutes of inactivity
    // This matches Alpha Insights default, but explicitly set for compatibility
    return 1800;
}

Dynamic Timeout Based on Time of Day

add_filter( 'wpd_session_timeout_seconds', 'time_based_session_timeout' );
function time_based_session_timeout( $timeout_seconds ) {
    $current_hour = (int) current_time( 'H' );
    
    // Longer timeout during business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
    if ( $current_hour >= 9 && $current_hour 

Mobile vs Desktop Different Timeouts

add_filter( 'wpd_session_timeout_seconds', 'device_based_session_timeout' );
function device_based_session_timeout( $timeout_seconds ) {
    // Check if user is on mobile device
    if ( wp_is_mobile() ) {
        // Mobile users tend to browse in shorter bursts
        return 900; // 15 minutes for mobile
    }
    
    // Desktop users typically have longer sessions
    return 1800; // 30 minutes for desktop
}

Best Practices

• 30 minutes (1800 seconds) is the industry standard
• Shorter timeouts = more accurate session counts
• Longer timeouts = fewer sessions, higher session duration
• Match your analytics platform (Google Analytics, etc.) for consistency
• Consider your typical user behavior patterns
• Don’t set too short (<5 minutes) as it fragments sessions
• Don’t set too long (>2 hours) as it inflates session metrics

Impact on Analytics

Shorter Timeout (e.g., 15 minutes):

• More accurate session counts
• Lower average session duration
• More sessions recorded
• Better for tracking quick visits

Longer Timeout (e.g., 1 hour):

• Fewer total sessions
• Higher average session duration
• Better for tracking engaged users
• May combine separate visits into one session

Important Notes

• Timeout must be a positive integer (seconds)
• Default of 30 minutes (1800 seconds) is recommended
• Changing this affects how sessions are counted
• Historical data is not affected by changes
• Only new sessions use the updated timeout
• This is inactivity timeout, not total session duration

Common Timeout Values

Debugging

add_filter( 'wpd_session_timeout_seconds', 'debug_session_timeout', 999 );
function debug_session_timeout( $timeout_seconds ) {
    error_log( 'Alpha Insights Session Timeout: ' . $timeout_seconds . ' seconds (' . ( $timeout_seconds / 60 ) . ' minutes)' );
    return $timeout_seconds;
}

Related Classes

• WPD_Session_Tracking – Session tracking and management
• WPD_WooCommerce_Events – Event tracking