How important is it to include session_start() at the beginning of each script that uses sessions in PHP?

It is crucial to include session_start() at the beginning of each script that uses sessions in PHP because it initializes a session or resumes the current one. Without session_start(), session variables will not be accessible or saved across different pages. This function must be called before any output is sent to the browser.

<?php
session_start();

// Rest of your PHP code here
?>