PHP sessions are stored on the server as files in a directory specified by the session.save_path setting. 1. By default, they are stored in a temporary directory like /tmp. 2. The exact path can be checked using phpinfo() or session_save_path(). 3. Session storage can be customized by changing session.save_path in php.ini or at runtime with session_save_path() before session_start(). 4. In clustered environments, file-based storage is not ideal; database or Redis-backed storage should be used instead. 5. Session files are cleaned up by PHP’s garbage collector based on session.gc_maxlifetime, typically after 24 minutes, though cleanup timing may vary.
PHP sessions are stored on the server by default, typically in a temporary directory as files. Each session gets its own file, named based on the session ID, and these files contain the serialized session data you’ve set in your PHP scripts.

Where exactly are they stored?
The exact location depends on your server configuration. By default, PHP uses the session.save_path
setting defined in your php.ini
file. On many Linux systems, this is something like /tmp
, but it can vary depending on hosting environments or custom setups.
You can check where sessions are being saved by using the phpinfo()
function or running this snippet:

echo session_save_path();
This will show you the actual path your server is using right now.
Common places:

- Local development environments might use something like
/var/lib/php/session
- Shared hosting may use a specific directory per user
- Some servers use subdirectories for better performance when handling lots of sessions
Can session storage be changed or customized?
Yes, you can change where sessions are stored either in your php.ini
file or at runtime using session_save_path()
before calling session_start()
.
For example:
session_save_path("/path/to/your/custom/session/directory"); session_start();
Make sure the directory is writable by the web server user (like www-data
or _www
). Also, avoid placing session directories under web-accessible folders to prevent security risks.
If you're working in a clustered or distributed environment (like multiple servers behind a load balancer), file-based sessions won’t work well. In that case, consider switching to database-backed or Redis-based session storage.
How long do session files stay on the server?
Session files aren't kept forever. PHP has a built-in garbage collection mechanism that removes old session files based on the session.gc_maxlifetime
setting (default is 1440 seconds, or 24 minutes).
However, the garbage collector doesn't run on every request—it’s triggered randomly based on the session.gc_probability
and session.gc_divisor
settings. This means some sessions may stick around a little longer than expected before being cleaned up.
If you need tighter control over session expiration, especially for security-sensitive apps, you can implement your own cleanup script or use a dedicated session handler.
That's how PHP handles session storage under the hood. It's straightforward for most small to medium applications, but worth revisiting if you scale up or move to a multi-server setup.
The above is the detailed content of Where are PHP sessions stored?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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