What’s the difference between sessions and events in GA4?

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What’s the difference between sessions and events in GA4?

Asked on Sep 22, 2025

Answer

In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), sessions and events are distinct metrics used to measure user interactions on your website or app. Sessions represent a group of user interactions within a specific time frame, while events are individual interactions or actions taken by users.

Example Concept: In GA4, a session is initiated when a user visits your site and continues until there is 30 minutes of inactivity. An event, on the other hand, is any logged interaction, such as a page view, click, or form submission. Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 treats all interactions as events, allowing for more flexible and detailed tracking.

Additional Comment:

Sessions can contain multiple events, including page views, conversions, and custom events.
GA4's event-based model allows for more granular data collection compared to the session-based model in Universal Analytics.
Understanding the distinction helps in setting up meaningful reports and insights in GA4.

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