# Session TTL

A session TTL (time to live) is the lifetime of a sticky proxy session: the period during which requests carrying the same session identifier are routed through the same exit IP. When it elapses, the next request with that identifier gets a new exit. Lifetimes range from a minute to a day depending on the provider; longer lifetimes trade freshness for continuity.


## Measured from when

On most gateways the clock starts at the first request that used the identifier and is not extended by activity: a 30-minute TTL ends 30 minutes after the session began, whether or not requests are still flowing. Plan the lifetime around the longest flow you expect, not the average.


## Picking a value

| Job | Suggested TTL |
| --- | --- |
| Search and paginate | 2 to 5 minutes |
| Cart and checkout | 10 to 30 minutes |
| Account session for a working day | up to 24 hours |
| Bulk collection | none: rotate per connection |


## How it works at ProxShift

ProxShift accepts -ttl- from 1m to 24h (for example -ttl-30m, -ttl-2h), default 10 minutes when -sid- is present without -ttl-.

Source: https://proxshift.com/glossary/session-ttl