# What Is a Chat Session? Start, End & History

Source: https://insertchat.com/glossary/chat-session

> A chat session is one conversation between a visitor and a chatbot or agent, from first message to close. Learn how sessions start, end, and keep history.

A chat session is a single conversation between a website visitor and a chatbot or support agent, from the first message until it is resolved or goes inactive. The session holds the messages, the visitor’s details, and context such as the page they came from, so the assistant and the team can follow the conversation and pick it up later.

## How chat sessions work

A session usually starts when a visitor sends a first message, and the chat software stores an identifier in the browser so the conversation survives page changes. It ends when the request is resolved, when the visitor stays inactive past a time limit, or when the browser loses the identifier.

Returning visitors are the tricky part. Anonymous visitors on a new device start fresh. If the website passes a stable user ID, such as for logged-in customers, the chat can link sessions to the same person so history carries over. Pricing pages that mention “sessions” or “conversations” usually count these units.

## Example: a returning online shopper

A shopper chats with an online store about sizing on Monday, then logs in on Thursday to ask whether the jacket is back in stock. Because the store passes its customer ID to the chat, the conversation history is still there, and the assistant can answer without asking her to repeat which jacket she meant. This scenario is illustrative.

## Chat sessions in InsertChat

Every InsertChat website chat is a conversation in the [shared inbox](https://insertchat.com/product/inbox), with the visitor’s landing page and referrer saved to their contact. Your site can pass a user identifier so returning, signed-in visitors keep their chat history, and an email to prefill their details.

Clearly finished conversations are marked resolved automatically: website chats and texts after 24 hours of inactivity, emails after 72 hours, and calls at call end when no follow-up is promised. Conversations that need you are never resolved automatically. See the [online store setup](https://insertchat.com/industries/ecommerce).

## How long does a chat session last?

Until the conversation is resolved or goes inactive for the software’s time limit. Inactivity limits vary by product, from minutes to a day or more.

## What is the difference between a chat session and a conversation?

They’re often used interchangeably. Some tools count a new session each time a visitor returns, even when the conversation history continues.

## Related terms

- [Conversation state](https://insertchat.com/glossary/conversation-state): Conversation state is everything a system knows about a conversation at a given moment: what the customer wants, which details have been collected, what has already happened, and where the conversation stands, such as handled by AI, waiting on the customer, needing a person, or resolved.
- [Website chatbot](https://insertchat.com/glossary/website-chatbot): A website chatbot is a chat window on a business’s website where an automated assistant answers visitors’ questions in real time.
- [Iframe embedding](https://insertchat.com/glossary/iframe-embedding): Iframe embedding is placing one web page inside another using an HTML inline frame, so content hosted elsewhere, such as a chat window, map, or booking calendar, appears as part of your page.
- [Shared inbox](https://insertchat.com/glossary/shared-inbox): A shared inbox is one workspace where a team sees and answers customer conversations together instead of in separate personal inboxes.

## Related InsertChat pages

- [Shared inbox](https://insertchat.com/product/inbox)
- [AI chatbot for your website](https://insertchat.com/product/website)
- [AI front desk for online stores](https://insertchat.com/industries/ecommerce)