Attribution Window

Definition

Attribution Window: An attribution window is the time period during which a conversion is credited to a prior ad click or view. Meta defaults to 7-day-click + 1-day-view; Google defaults to 30-day-click data-driven.

# Attribution Window An attribution window defines how long after an ad interaction a conversion still gets credited back to that ad. A 7-day-click window means a sale within 7 days of the click is attributed; a 1-day-view window means a sale within 24 hours of seeing the ad (without clicking) is also attributed. Different platforms default to different windows, which is one reason their reported ROAS numbers disagree. ## Why it matters Windows change attribution numbers dramatically. Moving Meta from 7-day-click + 1-day-view down to 1-day-click (the iOS 14.5 default for unconsented users) can cut reported conversions by 20-40% without any real performance change. When you compare Meta vs Google ROAS, or this month vs last month, you need the windows to match or the comparison is meaningless. ## How Admaxxer surfaces it Admaxxer normalizes attribution windows in the dashboard: you see Meta's reported conversions at 7d-click + 1d-view (native), storefront-ground-truth conversions, and a reconciled blended number. The [pixel CVD gap](/glossary/pixel-cvd-gap) monitor uses storefront orders as the base of truth to detect when attribution windows are masking real performance changes. ## Example A Meta campaign reported 400 conversions on 7d-click + 1d-view. The same campaign on 1d-click reports 240 conversions — the same campaign, same day, just a shorter window. Neither number is wrong; they measure different things. The discipline is picking one window and comparing like-for-like.

Most related

Continue exploring the DTC ad-analytics vocabulary — every term in this glossary cross-links to the next.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Meta's default attribution window?

7-day-click + 1-day-view for Aggregated Event Measurement (iOS) and 7-day-click + 1-day-view for consented users. 1-day-click is the unconsented iOS default.

What is Google's default attribution window?

30-day-click with data-driven attribution for most conversion actions. Shorter windows are available but reduce the data volume the algorithm has to learn from.

Does a longer window inflate ROAS?

Yes — any conversion inside the window is credited regardless of other touches. Longer windows almost always show higher ROAS; the honest comparison is against blended MER across the same period.

Try Admaxxer Free