The 7 day return rule
MetricsExactly what counts as a returning player, and why the rule changes on a network that runs a login plugin.
#The rule
A player counts as returned when they start another session after their first one, inside seven days of that first join, and that session qualifies.
A session qualifies when a login was confirmed, or, on a network with no login system, when it lasted at least 180 seconds. That fallback is what stops a reconnect loop or a port scan from reading as retention.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Return window | 7 days from the first join |
| Minimum session without a login system | 180 seconds |
| Sessions counted | Any session after the first one |
#Networks with a login plugin
On a network that runs a login system for cracked players, only a confirmed login qualifies. The 180 second fallback is withdrawn, because on such a network a long session with no login is a failed login, and a failed login is not a return.
We decide this from confirmed logins by cracked players only. A premium or Bedrock player is authenticated by the platform at join, so counting those would flip every network into login mode and silently break the number for its cracked players.
#Pending players
A player whose seven days are not up yet is shown as pending, not as a failure. Return rate is measured against the cohort whose window has closed, so today's joins do not drag yesterday's number down.