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How to extend session with express-session?

I am using express together with express-session in order to handle user session after the've logged into my application. The problem is that they will be logged out again after some time or when they close the browser window. What would be a good solution to achieve a long living user session?

This is my current express-session config:

app.use(session({
  secret: 'keyboard cat',
  resave: false,
  saveUninitialized: false,
  cookie: { secure: true }
}));
nodejsExpress

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Author´s Dominik Sumer image

Dominik Sumer

Last edited on

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Best answer

In your express-session no expiration date or maxAge is configured, so the cookie will be bound to the "browser session" by default.

A good solution would be to set the maxAge of the cookie to a desired time and also specify the rolling configuration of express-session, which renews the maxAge if a user is active (a request is being sent) on your application.

Example config:

app.use(session({
  ...
  cookie: { 
    ...
    maxAge: 7 * 24 * 3600 * 1000, // a week
  },
  rolling: true
}));

So with the config above the cookie will be valid for a week, but if the user is for example again visiting your application after 3 days, the cookie will then be renewed for again 7 days.

Link to documentation of the rolling config: https://github.com/expressjs/session#rolling

Author´s Dominik Sumer image

Dominik Sumer

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Last edited on