How Long Do PHP Sessions Last?

Session Lifetime Conundrum

When you initiate a PHP session with session_start(), a new session or an existing session is maintained. However, you may wonder how long this session will persist before a new session ID is generated.

Answer

The default lifetime of a PHP session is dictated by the session.gc_maxlifetime configuration setting in php.ini. This value represents the number of seconds a session ID remains active.

Default Value

In most default PHP configurations, session.gc_maxlifetime is set to 1440 seconds, or approximately 24 minutes. This means that if you refresh a page within 24 minutes after starting a session, you will use the same session ID.

Exceptions

While the default lifetime is set in php.ini, it's important to note that certain web frameworks and server configurations may override this setting.

Further Considerations

Session lifetime is a crucial aspect of web security, as it prevents session hijacking attacks. Additionally, session lifetimes must be balanced with performance considerations to avoid slowing down a website due to frequent session regenerations.

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