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Overview

In MCPcat, a session represents a single continuous interaction between an AI client (like Claude Desktop or another MCP client) and your MCP server. Sessions help you understand the complete context of how users interact with your tools over time.

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What Constitutes a Session

A session begins when a client connects to your MCP server and persists throughout their entire interaction. Each session is automatically assigned a unique identifier that tracks all activities within that connection.

Sessions capture:

  • The sequence of tool calls made by the user
  • The time spent between interactions
  • User identity (if provided through the identify callback)
  • Client information (name and version)
  • The overall flow of how users accomplish their tasks

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Session Lifecycle

Sessions follow a simple lifecycle:

  1. Creation: A new session starts when a client initializes a connection to your MCP server
  2. Activity: All tool invocations and interactions are associated with the session
  3. Inactivity: Sessions remain active as long as the client maintains the connection
  4. Termination: Sessions end when the client disconnects or after a period of inactivity

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Why Sessions Matter

Understanding sessions helps you:

  • See the complete journey of how users interact with your tools
  • Identify common workflows and usage patterns
  • Debug issues by replaying the full context of user actions
  • Measure engagement through session duration and activity
  • Understand which features are used together

Sessions provide the foundation for meaningful analytics, allowing you to move beyond individual tool calls to understand the full user experience.