How the Session Lifetime is Calculated
Sep 2, 2025
Okta Classic Engine
Okta Identity Engine
Administration
Overview
This article discusses how the Session Lifetime is calculated.
Applies To
- Okta Session Lifetime
Solution
The Okta Session Lifetime is calculated based on the last user's action inside Okta, not on the login timestamp. When the Okta Session ends, the user will be logged out of Okta.
For example:
- Okta Session Lifetime set for 1 hour
- User logs into Okta at 9:00 AM PST
Use case 1:
- After the login, the user does not trigger any action related to Okta (clicking on tiles or refreshing the Okta Dashboard Page).
- Result: the Okta Session will end at 10:00 AM PST.
User case 2:
- After the login, the user leaves the page inactive until 9:30 AM PST, comes back to the Okta Dashboard to launch an application, and then leaves the page idle.
- Result: the Okta Session will end at 10:30 AM PST.
