---
title: Chatbot Billable Sessions
slug: intelligent-chat-agent/chatbot-billable-sessions
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-04-14T10:37:02.058Z
---

# Overview

Billable Sessions is a usage metric now available on the platform to provide **visibility into chatbot interactions at a session level**.

This feature enables users to:

- View total billable sessions per bot
- Track session-level interaction data
- Access detailed breakdowns via message history and exports



# What is a Billable Session?

A **Billable Session** is a unit of interaction that begins with a **user-initiated message** and represents an active engagement between the user and the chatbot.

It groups all interactions within a defined activity window into a **single session**, which is used for tracking and billing purposes.

**Definition and Rules**

A new Billable Session is created when any of the following conditions occur:

1. **Inactivity Timeout**
   - A new session is created if there is **15 minutes of inactivity** from the user.
2. **Conversation Restart**
   - A new session is triggered when the interaction is restarted, such as:
     - Page reload or refresh
     - App reload
     - Reopening the chatbot
3. **Live Chat Closure**
   - When a live chat is:
     - Marked as resolved by the agent
     - Ended by the user

This is considered the end of a session, and any new interaction will start a new billable session.

**Outbound Campaign Behavior (WhatsApp)**

- An outbound campaign message **without any user response** is **not counted** as a billable session.
- A billable session is created **only when the user replies**, and:
  - The bot responds with a flow
  - Or even a default/fallback message


Conversation ID vs Billable Session ID
======================================

**Conversation ID**

- Previously referred to as **Session ID, **now renamed to **Conversation ID** on the console, represents a continuous conversation thread.
- Logic remains unchanged: Valid for 1 day** but differs for channels.**
  - **Website, Android & iOS**: The conversation ends at the night at 12:00 AM IST for every chat.
    - **Example**: Conversation for the Chat initiated at - Day 1, 10:00 AM will end at Day 1, 11:59:59 AM. It can consist of multiple Billable session in this single Conversation.
  - **WhatsApp**: The conversation is active for net 24H from when the first message was sent by the user. 
    - **Example**: Conversation for the Chat initiated at Day 1, 3:00PM will end at  Day 2, 2:59:59 PM. It can consist of multiple Billable session in this single Conversation.

**Billable Session ID**

- Represents a individual **billing unit.**
- Group interactions based on activity windows and defined triggers inside a conversation.


**Relationship**

- A single **Conversation ID can contain multiple Billable Sessions**
- Billable Sessions are **subsets within a conversation**, split based on inactivity or restart conditions


Key Concepts
============

| **Concept**         | **Description**                                                            |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Conversation ID     | Tracks the overall conversation thread (1-day window)                      |
| Billable Session ID | Tracks chargeable interaction windows within a conversation                |
| Session Trigger     | Events that create a new billable session (timeout, restart, chat closure) |



How It Works (Examples)
=======================

**Example 1: Continuous Interaction**

| **Time** | **Action**                 |
| -------- | -------------------------- |
| 10:00    | User sends message         |
| 10:05    | User continues interaction |
| 10:05    | Bot responds               |
| 10:30    | User continues interaction |

Result:

- 1 Conversation ID
- 1 Billable Session


**Example 2: Inactivity Split**

| **Time** | **Action**             |
| -------- | ---------------------- |
| 10:00    | User sends message     |
| 10:10    | Interaction continues  |
| 10:30    | User sends new message |

Result:

- 1 Conversation ID
- 2 Billable Sessions (due to >15 min inactivity)

****
**Example 3: Page Refresh**

| **Time** | **Action**               |
| -------- | ------------------------ |
| 10:00    | User starts interaction  |
| 10:05    | User refreshes the page  |
| 10:06    | User sends a new message |

Result:

- 1 Conversation ID
- 2 Billable Sessions (restart triggered)



**Example 4: Campaign Interaction**

| **Scenario**             | **Result**               |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------ |
| Campaign sent, no reply  | No session               |
| User replies to campaign | Session starts           |
| Bot responds             | Billable session counted |



**Example 5: Live Chat Closure**

| **Time** | **Action**           |
| -------- | -------------------- |
| 10:00    | User starts chat     |
| 10:05    | Agent joins          |
| 10:20    | Chat resolved        |
| 10:21    | User sends a message |

Result:

- 1 Conversation ID
- 2 Billable Sessions (closure triggered)



# Where Can You See Billable Sessions?

:::Heading{depth="3" indent="1"}
**Analytics Dashboard**
:::

- Open Chatbot > Analytics > Combined Analytics > On the Usage Bar
- View total **Billable Sessions**
- Available at the bot level for the selected date range



![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/XxHLGhSrEGuW4QZUzVIiE_.blob)

![]()

:::Heading{depth="3" indent="1"}
Message Histoy
:::

****
**User Chat History**

Go to Chatbot > Message History from LHS > Switch to Message History > See the User chat table



Enhanced with:

- **Conversation ID** (renamed)
- **Billable Session ID** (new)

This allows:

- Tracking of user interactions
- Identification of session grouping



![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/tLHH3q63cEdCMozfI8T-F_.blob)



![]()


**Export Reports**

- Downloadable message history reports include:
  - Conversation ID
  - Billable Session ID
  - Chat-level data