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/WPDAI_Session_Tracking.php

Methods: WPDAI_Session_Tracking::get_or_create_session() and WPDAI_Session_Tracking::is_session_expired()

Lines: ~317 and ~405

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
$timeout_seconds	int	Session timeout in seconds (default: 1800 = 30 minutes)

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 < 17 ) {
        return 3600; // 1 hour during business hours
    }
    
    // Shorter timeout outside business hours
    return 1800; // 30 minutes
}

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

Duration	Seconds	Use Case
15 minutes	900	Quick browsing, mobile-focused
30 minutes (default)	1800	Standard, matches Google Analytics
1 hour	3600	Engaged browsing, research sites
2 hours	7200	Long-form content, detailed research

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;
}