Group Sessions

Group Sessions are time-bound containers in the Variable Center that organize users and data collection into discrete periods. Each session has defined start and end times, and can track a specific subset of your global variables.

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Overview

Group Sessions enable you to:

• Organize data collection into defined time periods
• Control when users can enter or modify data
• Track different variable sets for different purposes
• Manage multiple concurrent or sequential data collection efforts

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Session Properties

Property	Description
Session Name	Human-readable identifier (e.g., "Q1 2024 Survey", "Training Cohort A")
Start Date	Date and time when the session opens for data entry
End Date	Date and time when the session closes
Created At	Timestamp when the session was created
Schema	Configuration of which variables to track
Status	Automatically calculated based on current time

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Session Status

Sessions automatically display their status based on the current time:

Status	Icon	Description
Opens in Xh Xm	⏳	Session has not started yet. Shows countdown.
Open for editing	✅	Session is currently active. Users can enter data.
Closed	❌	Session has ended. Data entry is locked.

Status updates automatically - no manual intervention needed.

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Creating a Group Session

Step 1: Navigate to Settings

1. Go to Variable Center → Settings
2. Select your application from the dropdown

Step 2: Add New Session

1. Click "Add Group Session" button
2. A new row appears in the session grid

Step 3: Configure Properties

1. Session Name - Enter a descriptive name
2. Start Date - Click to open date/time picker, select when the session should open
3. End Date - Click to open date/time picker, select when the session should close
4. Press Enter or click away to save

Step 4: Configure Schema

1. Click the Schema button for your session
2. Select which variables to include in this session
3. Configure any session-specific variable settings
4. Save the schema

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Managing Sessions

Edit a Session

1. Click the Edit button in the Actions column
2. Modify any properties in the modal
3. Click Save

Clone a Session

1. Click the Clone button
2. A copy is created with the same settings
3. Edit the clone as needed (e.g., change dates, rename)

Delete a Session

1. Click the Delete button
2. Confirm the deletion in the dialog

Warning: Deleting a session permanently removes all associated user data.

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Session Schema

Each session can have its own schema configuration determining which variables to track:

Configuring the Schema

1. Click the Schema button for the session
2. The schema editor shows all available global variables
3. Check/uncheck variables to include/exclude them
4. Configure variable-specific settings:
   • Selected - Include in this session
   • Editable - Allow modification during the session

Why Different Schemas?

• Focused data collection - Only show relevant fields to users
• Phased rollouts - Start with basic fields, add more over time
• Different use cases - Same app, different data needs

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Session Statuses

For detailed information about session statuses and their management:

Learn about Group Session Statuses

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Session Variables

For information about how variables work within sessions:

Learn about Group Session Variables

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Use Cases

Survey Campaign

Session: "Customer Feedback Q1 2024"
Start: Jan 1, 2024 00:00
End: Mar 31, 2024 23:59
Variables: satisfaction, feedback, nps_score

Training Cohort

Session: "Onboarding Cohort March"
Start: Mar 1, 2024 09:00
End: Mar 15, 2024 17:00
Variables: firstName, lastName, completedModules, certificationStatus

Event Registration

Session: "Annual Conference 2024"
Start: Jan 15, 2024 00:00
End: Mar 1, 2024 23:59
Variables: firstName, lastName, email, dietaryRestrictions, sessionPreferences

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Best Practices

1. Use descriptive names - Include dates, cohort identifiers, or purpose in session names

2. Set appropriate time windows - Consider time zones of your users

3. Plan ahead - Create sessions before they need to start

4. Test first - Create a short test session to verify configuration

5. Don't delete active sessions - Wait until data is exported/backed up

6. Consider overlapping sessions - Multiple sessions can run simultaneously for different purposes

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Questions?

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. Alternatively, you can submit an issue on this platform.

Useful Links:

Global Variables - https://help.acenji.com/#/./shared-concepts/variable-center/settings/global-variables/index User Data - https://help.acenji.com/#/./shared-concepts/variable-center/user-data/index Gate Controller - https://help.acenji.com/#/./shared-concepts/gate-controller/index

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