Time Spent Tracking

Written By Sara Irfan

Last updated 4 days ago

What is Time Spent Tracking?

Time Spent measures how long users actively engage with your platform, not just whether they logged in, but how much time they actually spent using it.

What You Can Do with Time Spent Tracking

  • Distinguish between real engagement and drive-by logins. A sub-account that logs in daily for 2 minutes each time is very different from one that logs in daily for 45 minutes. Both show as "Active" in status, but time spent reveals the depth of engagement.

  • Identify accounts that need training. Low time spent combined with Active status often means the user logs in, doesn't know what to do, and leaves.

How Time Spent Is Calculated

  • Data gets sent every 15 seconds while the user is actively using the app.

  • The Page Visibility API pauses tracking when the tab is hidden or the user switches to another window.

  • If a user is idle (no interaction) for 5 minutes, tracking stops.

  • Time is aggregated server-side with safety caps to prevent anomalies.

Common Questions & Answers

Why doesn't the time spent match what I expect?

Key factors:

  1. Only active tab time is counted at a time. Hidden tabs don't accumulate time.

  2. Idle detection pauses tracking after 5 minutes of no activity.

  3. Daily time per user is capped at 8 hours.

  4. Each login day adds a 2-minute minimum.

Does time count if a user just leaves a tab open all day?

No. If the user isn't actively interacting, tracking stop after 5 minutes of idle time. A tab that's open but untouched doesn't accumulate time.