Session behaviour, time decay and anonymous personalisation
How Liva 7 interprets short-term behaviour, manages recency and personalises for shoppers without accounts
Overview
Session behaviour, time decay and anonymous personalisation define how Liva 7 reacts to real-time shopper activity. These settings control how quickly the engine adapts to new signals, how long past actions remain relevant and how personalisation works when the shopper is not logged in.
Together, they shape how responsive and accurate recommendations feel across the entire storefront.
How session behaviour influences recommendations
Session behaviour refers to the actions a shopper takes during their current visit. These signals are often the strongest because they reflect what the shopper is interested in right now.
Session behaviour includes:
- product views
- time spent on pages
- scroll depth
- add-to-cart actions
- search queries
- category browsing
The engine uses these signals to adjust recommendations in real time. A shopper who views three jackets in a row will immediately see more jacket-related suggestions, even if they have never visited the store before.
Session behaviour tells the engine what the shopper cares about right now.
Why session behaviour matters
Session signals help the engine:
- react quickly to new interests
- avoid showing irrelevant products
- personalise for first-time visitors
- adapt as the shopper moves through the store
This creates a storefront that feels responsive and intentional rather than static.
What time decay controls
Time decay determines how long past behaviour continues to influence recommendations. It prevents old actions from overpowering new intent.
Time decay affects:
- how quickly the engine shifts focus when interests change
- how long browsing history remains relevant
- how strongly past purchases influence new recommendations
- how the engine balances long-term and short-term behaviour
A higher decay rate means recent actions matter more. A lower decay rate means long-term patterns carry more weight.
Time decay controls how fast the engine forgets.
How to use the time decay slider
The slider lets you adjust how aggressively the engine prioritises recent behaviour.
You might increase decay when:
- your catalogue changes often
- shoppers browse many categories in one visit
- you want recommendations to shift quickly
You might decrease decay when:
- your products have long consideration cycles
- shoppers return frequently
- past purchases strongly predict future interest
This gives you control over how reactive or steady the engine feels.
How time decay affects different page types
Time decay influences each page differently.
- Homepage - broader signals with lighter decay
- Collection pages - category-level behaviour with moderate decay
- Product pages - strong emphasis on recent views
- Search pages - immediate, high-intent signals
- Cart - minimal decay because add-to-cart is a strong action
This ensures the engine uses recency in a way that matches shopper intent.
What anonymous personalisation means
Anonymous personalisation allows the engine to personalise recommendations even when the shopper is not logged in. The engine uses session behaviour and short-term signals without storing personal data.
Anonymous personalisation uses:
- current session activity
- device-level behaviour
- page context
- product relationships
It does not use:
- account data
- identifiable information
- cross-device tracking
Anonymous personalisation adapts to behaviour without storing identity.
When to turn anonymous personalisation on or off
Most stores keep anonymous personalisation on because it improves relevance for new and returning visitors who are not logged in.
You might turn it off when:
- you want fully static behaviour for testing
- your store requires strict non-personalised output
- you are troubleshooting widget behaviour
Turning it off does not break widgets. It simply removes behavioural adaptation for anonymous visitors.
How anonymous personalisation interacts with time decay
Anonymous personalisation relies heavily on time decay because it has no long-term identity to reference. This means:
- recent actions matter more
- recommendations shift quickly
- the engine adapts within a single session
This creates a personalised experience without storing any personal data.
How these settings shape the shopper experience
Session behaviour, time decay and anonymous personalisation work together to create a storefront that feels responsive, relevant and privacy-safe.
They determine:
- how quickly recommendations change
- how long past actions matter
- how personalisation works for logged-out visitors
- how the engine balances short-term and long-term intent
These settings give you control over how dynamic or stable your personalisation strategy feels.
