APEX URL Structure and Session Management Explained

Introduction

Every Oracle APEX developer has seen URLs like this:

f?p=100:1:1234567890:::::

But very few truly understand:

• What each part of the URL means
• How sessions are created and managed
• Why session state matters
• How security is enforced behind the scenes

In this blog, we’ll break down APEX URL structure and session management in simple words, using real-world examples and easy-to-understand diagrams.

What is an APEX URL?

An APEX URL is the entry point to an Oracle APEX application.

It tells APEX:

• Which application to open
• Which page to show
• Which session to use
• What values to pass

Basic format:

f?p=App:Page:Session:Request:Debug:ClearCache:ItemNames:ItemValues:PrinterFriendly

Breakdown of APEX URL Parameters

1️⃣ Application ID (App)

Example:

f?p=100:1:0

• 100 → Application ID
• Identifies which APEX application to open

📌 Every APEX app has a unique Application ID.

2️⃣ Page ID (Page)

f?p=100:10:0

• 10 → Page ID
• Determines which page loads

📌 Example: Page 10 = Employee Form

3️⃣ Session ID (Session)

f?p=100:10:1234567890

• Identifies the user session
• APEX creates this automatically after login

📌 Session ID links the user to:

• Page values
• Authentication state
• Authorization checks

4️⃣ Request

f?p=100:10:1234567890:SAVE

• Used to control processing logic
• Common values:
  • SAVE
  • DELETE
  • SUBMIT

📌 Used in conditions like:

When Request = SAVE

5️⃣ Debug

f?p=100:10:1234567890::YES

• Enables APEX debug mode
• Shows detailed execution logs

📌 Very useful for troubleshooting

6️⃣ Clear Cache

f?p=100:10:1234567890:::10

• Clears session state
• Prevents stale data

📌 Example:

• Clear page 10 cache before loading

7️⃣ Item Names & Values

f?p=100:10:1234567890::::P10_EMPNO:7369

• Passes values to page items
• Sets session state automatically

📌 Used for deep linking

Real-World Example: Employee Details Page

Scenario

You want to open Employee Details page directly from a report.

Generated URL:

f?p=100:10:&SESSION.::::P10_EMPNO:7369

What happens:

1. Application 100 opens
2. Page 10 loads
3. Current session is reused
4. EMPNO item gets value 7369
5. Page fetches employee details

What is Session State in APEX?

Session State is where APEX stores page item values.

For example:

P10_EMPNO = 7369

This value lives in the APEX session, not the database.

How APEX Session is Created

Step-by-Step Flow

1. User opens APEX URL
2. APEX checks authentication
3. Session ID is generated
4. Session data is stored in memory
5. User interacts with pages

Session Management Behind the Scenes

APEX manages sessions automatically:

• Creates session on login
• Maintains session state
• Expires session on timeout

You control:

• Session timeout
• Logout behavior
• Cache clearing

Session Timeout and Expiry

Session expires when:

• User is inactive
• Browser closed (optional)
• Explicit logout

📌 Configured at:

Shared Components → Security Attributes

Security: Why Session Matters

APEX sessions protect:

• Unauthorized page access
• URL manipulation
• Session hijacking

Best practices:

✔ Use &SESSION. instead of hardcoding

✔ Clear cache when passing sensitive values

✔ Use authorization schemes

Common URL & Session Issues

❌ Bookmarking URLs with Session ID

• Session expires
• URL breaks

❌ Missing Clear Cache

• Old values appear

❌ Direct Page Access

• Bypasses logic

Best Practices for APEX URLs

✔ Use apex_util.prepare_url

✔ Avoid exposing sensitive values

✔ Use page items for parameters

✔ Clear cache when required

✔ Use friendly URLs (APEX 22+)

Interview One-Liner

“APEX URLs define application, page, session, and parameters, while session management ensures secure storage and lifecycle of user state across page requests.”

Conclusion

Understanding APEX URL structure and session management helps you:

• Build secure applications
• Debug issues faster
• Avoid session-related bugs
• Write better APEX code

Once you master this, APEX behavior becomes predictable and powerful 🚀

Happy Coding with Oracle APEX 💙