Why Are My PHP Sessions Expiring Unexpectedly?

PHP Sessions Expiring Unpredictably: Troubleshooting and Solutions

Issue:

Users have reported that PHP sessions on their website frequently expire without clear reason, leaving them puzzled about the cause. They are concerned about whether it's due to session inactivity or faulty code, and they seek guidance on controlling session expiration.

Solution:

Random session expiration often points towards a shared session data directory problem. In default settings, PHP stores session files in the system temporary directory, where it's possible for multiple applications to share the same directory. When one application has a shorter session.gc_maxlifetime setting, it may inadvertently remove session data belonging to other applications.

To resolve this issue, it's recommended to configure a private custom session directory for your application. This can be achieved by utilizing the session_save_path() function or modifying the session.save_path configuration directive.

Additional Information:

By default, PHP's builtin file handler doesn't distinguish between session files owned by different applications. It simply matches file names with session IDs, leading to potential conflicts.

By creating a custom session directory, you ensure that session files for your application are isolated and protected from being purged by other applications with shorter session expiration settings.

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