# Visits and returning visitors

INSIDE separates a visitor's current visit from their saved identity and marks eligible visitors as returning.

*Release 3.3 · developer, operator, supervisor, visitor*

**Floor › Summary**

## What it is

A visitor can make several visits while keeping the same visitor record. INSIDE tracks the start of the current visit and the latest activity separately from the visitor's original creation date. Its returning-visitor marker uses that original date.

## Who uses it and why

- Operators use visit context to judge how long a visitor has been on the website.
- Supervisors distinguish current visits from returning browsers when reviewing activity.
- Developers use consistent tracking across pages so visit activity remains connected.
- Visitors can leave and return without every short interruption becoming a new identity.

## Where to find it

Select a visitor on the floor. The visitor's **Summary** includes **Time Online**. Returning status also contributes to the visitor's floor appearance. These are results of tracking, rather than settings you edit on a visitor record.

## How it works

When INSIDE creates a visit, it records its start and latest activity. Page tracking and connection keepalives refresh activity.

When a saved visit is restored, a gap of less than 30 minutes preserves its earlier start. A gap of 30 minutes or more starts a new visit. The visitor's original creation date remains separate.

The returning marker applies when at least 24 hours have passed since the original visitor record was created. Returning after a shorter break can start a new visit without meeting the returning-marker rule.

For example, a recognised browser returning after a 40-minute gap can begin a new visit while still being too new to receive the returning marker.

## Configure it

There is no Settings control for the 30-minute visit boundary or the 24-hour returning threshold in this release. Keep the website integration and consent behaviour consistent across pages.

## Limits and good to know

- Losing a live connection or disappearing from the floor does not itself define a new visit.
- Browser identity, visit timing, individual page views and live connections are separate concepts.
- INSIDE expires inactive visit context after 30 minutes without activity; an eligible saved browser identity can still return later.
- Memory-only tracking cannot restore saved visit timing after its temporary context is gone.
- **Time Online** and reporting totals answer different questions. Use each report's definitions when comparing figures.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Visitor identity](VIS-001.md): Saved browser identity provides continuity between visits.
- **Configured in** [Cookie consent and opting out](VIS-018.md): Memory-only tracking cannot restore a previous saved visit in the same way as persistent tracking.
- **Works better with** [Floor avatar indicators](CON-010.md): Floor badges and visitor appearance communicate returning status to operators.
- **Related** [Reports data and metric definitions](REP-002.md): Check report definitions before comparing reported visitor totals with the live returning-visitor marker.
- **Related** [Visitor activity and availability](VIS-011.md): Live presence uses shorter inactivity rules than the rules that separate visits.

### Used by

- **Required by** [Time-based visitor event triggers](VIS-026.md): Time On Site evaluates elapsed time in the visitor's visit.
- **Required by** [Visitor event rules and actions](ENG-001.md): Visitor events need an active visit session and use its cooldown history.
- **Enhances** [Floor search and filters](CON-007.md): Returning-visitor classification supplies a floor filter.
- **Enhances** [Floor avatar indicators](CON-010.md): Visit history supplies returning-visitor status.
- **Enhances** [Starting, ending and expiring chats](CHAT-001.md): Returning visits can allow an existing conversation to continue when it is still eligible.
- **Enhances** [Visitor event targeting conditions](ENG-002.md): Visit counts and returning status can be used in targeting.
- **Enhances** [Chat performance and tab visibility reports](REP-003.md): Recorded visitor traffic supplies traffic-volume measurements.
- **Enhances** [Business Feed and Academy reports](REP-028.md): Visit activity contributes to company visit reporting.
- **Related** [Visitor identity](VIS-001.md): Visits distinguish separate periods of activity for the same recognised browser.
- **Related** [Visitor activity and availability](VIS-011.md): Going away or disconnecting does not by itself start a new visit.
- **Related** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): Session End survey expiry follows the visitor session rather than each page load.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why is a repeat visit not marked as returning?

The returning marker needs a recognised visitor record that is at least 24 hours old. A second visit on the same day may not meet that threshold.

### Does refreshing a page start a new visit?

A refresh does not automatically start a new visit. INSIDE can preserve the visit while the saved identity and recent activity remain available.

### Why did the visitor disappear before 30 minutes?

The floor uses shorter presence and disconnection rules. The 30-minute boundary concerns visit continuity, not how long an inactive visitor stays visible.

### Can I change the returning threshold?

There is no client setting for that threshold in this release.