service-manual checked

OWASP Session Management Cheat Sheet

Documents idle and absolute session timeout guidance, risk-based timeout durations, renewal behavior, and session expiration considerations for authenticated web applications.

Open source

Pattern Decisions This Source Supports

Pattern Supported decision Required contract Claim note
Session timeout Choose session timeout when the authenticated session has already expired or been terminated and the next valid path is sign-in, reauthentication, restart, or safe task restoration. The timeout state is driven by server or identity-provider session validity, not by a cosmetic client-only overlay. Supports session expiration, automatic logout after idle timeout, and avoiding silent expiry that loses work.
Session timeout warning Choose session timeout warning when the session is approaching an inactivity, absolute, device-lock, or reauthentication boundary that can interrupt authenticated work. The warning is driven by the authoritative session or identity state, not only a local countdown. OWASP documents idle and absolute session timeout guidance.

Evidence Role

This source is treated as service-manual evidence. Use it to validate the decision rules above, not as a visual style reference.

Publisher: OWASP Foundation. Last checked: .