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How to accurately calculate session length? Am I doing it right?

  • 21 January 2020
  • 5 replies
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  • rns
  • New Participant
  • 1 reply

I am currently trying to track the average session length on my app. And I want to make sure I’ve done this right, as the numbers are a little confusing.

 

I have set my project session settings to:

  • Definition Type: Timeout Based
  • Session Timeout: 30 minutes

I set up a 2 step funnel

  • Step 1: Session Start
  • Step 2: Session End

 

My expectation is that this will show the average time a user spends on the app. That if a user logs in and is active for 6 minutes, but then does nothing for 30 minutes (session timeout) that it will show their time to conversion being 6 minutes.

 

Am I doing this right? Please help!

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Best answer by stephanie 4 February 2020, 23:54

Hi @rns,

Have tried out our time to convert chart in Funnels? This will give you an estimate on the average time users spend on your app. I have attached a screenshot of my funnels report form my dummy account that is set up a similar funnel that looks at the average time spent on my app. The differences would be having the filter of Session Duration is set, and looking at the Time to convert chart in 2 hour intervals. In my screenshot 23.1 minutes is the average time users are taking on my app. 

Average time is 23 mins

 

Hope this helps you out! 

 

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5 replies

stephanie
Userlevel 4
Badge +4

Hi @rns,

Have tried out our time to convert chart in Funnels? This will give you an estimate on the average time users spend on your app. I have attached a screenshot of my funnels report form my dummy account that is set up a similar funnel that looks at the average time spent on my app. The differences would be having the filter of Session Duration is set, and looking at the Time to convert chart in 2 hour intervals. In my screenshot 23.1 minutes is the average time users are taking on my app. 

Average time is 23 mins

 

Hope this helps you out! 

 

-Stephanie | Community Moderator
R

Hi @stephanie ! thank you so much. This is how I have my report setup except for one piece I’m unable to duplicate. When I try to add the filter of session duration, I do not have the option to select “Is Set” (see attached screenshot)…. Do you know why this might be happening?

 

 

stephanie
Userlevel 4
Badge +4

@rns this is because the data type is set to numerical. On the screenshot you have shared,  if you can click on the drop down arrow next to the “Session Duration(Seconds)” title, this will give you the options to typecast your data to a “String” type. Once that is set, it should now give you the option to choose “Is set”. :) 

To learn more about data types and typecasting, take a look at this helps article https://help.mixpanel.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004547063

 

Hope this helps!

-Stephanie | Community Moderator
D
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Hi @stephanie ,

 

your reply was helpful to me as well. However I would like to know: How can I analyise the development of average session length over a given time period? I would like to plot the average session length day by day on a graph, and show the increase or decrease in the last 3 months.  
In the funnel chart I do not see a way to do this. 

Can you help?

cherise
Userlevel 5
Badge +3

@dominik —

You may find this thread helpful: https://community.mixpanel.com/strategy-and-planning-9/how-to-get-an-overview-of-average-time-spent-in-app-per-user-per-day-370?postid=6205#post6205

 

You can look at the average session length by creating a report in insights based on the screenshot below, and then breakdown your report by day on the line graph. 

I hope this helps!

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