In short
- Common windows: 1, 7, or 28 days for click. 1 day for view-through
- Short windows favour bottom-funnel channels. Long windows credit awareness work
- Different ad platforms default to different windows, that alone explains a lot of cross-platform disagreement
- The "right" window depends on your typical consideration cycle, not on a universal best practice
Why windows matter
A touchpoint outside the attribution window gets zero credit, no matter how influential it was. Pick a 1-day window and the brand TV spot that planted the seed six weeks ago is invisible. Pick a 90-day window and every casual touch from months ago dilutes the credit going to the actual decisive moments.
Windows also explain a huge fraction of in-platform attribution disagreements. Meta defaults to 7-day click + 1-day view. Google defaults to a 30-day click window. TikTok offers up to 28-day click. Identical journeys get attributed very differently to each platform, and summing them produces numbers that physically can’t be true.
How to choose a window
A few rough heuristics:
- Short consideration cycles (impulse purchases, low-AOV CPG): 7-day click. The decision happens within a week.
- Medium consideration cycles (mid-priced fashion, beauty, electronics): 14- or 28-day click + 1-day view. Multiple sessions before purchase is normal.
- Long consideration cycles (high-AOV, B2B, considered purchase): 30- to 90-day click. Brand exposure compounds over time.
The faster the typical journey, the shorter the window. Match the window to the median journey length, not the mean, long-tail journeys would otherwise pull the choice toward longer windows than most customers actually need.
View-through vs click
A click-through means the user clicked the ad. A view-through means the user saw the ad without clicking (impression-only). Most teams treat view-through credit cautiously:
- Many brands set view windows to 1 day at most
- Some exclude view-through entirely from independent attribution
- In-platform view-through attribution is the single biggest source of inflated ROAS reporting
A reasonable default: include view-through with a 1-day window if at all, and weight it lower than click in a multi-touch model.
Common mistakes
- Letting each platform use its own window. Cross-channel comparisons become meaningless.
- Picking the longest window to “capture everything.” You also capture noise. A 90-day window inflates the apparent reach of channels that touched everyone.
- Never revisiting the window. As media mix and consumer behaviour change, the appropriate window changes too. Audit annually.
FAQ about Attribution Window
What is a typical attribution window?
For e-commerce, 7- to 28-day click + 1-day view is typical. Short consideration cycles use shorter windows. Long-consideration purchases may need 30–90 days.
What is the difference between a click window and a view window?
A click window starts when the user clicks an ad. A view window starts when the user sees the ad without clicking. View-through attribution credit is much more contentious, most teams cap it at 1 day or skip it entirely.
Why do platforms disagree about attribution windows?
Each platform defaults to a different window, Meta 7-day click + 1-day view, Google 30-day click. Identical journeys get attributed differently to each platform. Standardising on one window across channels is what makes the numbers comparable.