Users vs. Sessions in Google Analytics in Layman’s Terms

Natalie Henley

• Digital Marketing

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Before 2014, when you logged into Google Analytics, you were given the category names “visits” & “unique visitors” to describe the website traffic you were receiving, which made sense.

Then Google decided to quietly change that terminology to “sessions” and “users” which really makes a lot less sense unless you take the time to understand GA (sigh).

The Gist of What Users Vs. Sessions in Google Analytics Means:

Users = “Unique visitors”, or a person who has come to your website.
Sessions = “Visits”, or different times that person came to your site.

Here’s a simple way to remember:

Think of your website like a restaurant. One person (user) can visit and leave a restaurant multiple times in one day. Each time they visit, do stuff, and leave is a session.

For Example:

In our office, people love Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Let’s say Brian walks to Krispy Kreme tomorrow morning for a dozen doughnuts, then later in the day goes to get another dozen doughnuts for Jeremy (he really likes doughnuts). That would be 1 User and 2 sessions that day.

Sessions should always be the same number or higher than users.