Attribution window vs cookie window
These two get conflated constantly, and they govern different things:
- Cookie window — how long an affiliate network will still credit you for a sale after a click. Amazon is 24 hours, ShareASale defaults to 30 days, many SaaS programs run 90 days or longer. This is what decides whether you get paid the commission.
- Attribution window — how long an ad platform (Meta, Google, TikTok) will credit a conversion to a click or view in its own reporting and optimization. This is what decides what the platform reports and optimizes toward.
For the same campaign these can differ wildly. Your network might pay on a 30-day cookie while Meta optimizes on a 7-day click window — so Meta's reported conversions and your actual paid commissions never quite line up. That gap is normal; know which number you're looking at.
Click-through vs view-through windows
Every attribution window has two halves:
- Click-through window — the conversion happened after the user clicked the ad. Strong signal.
- View-through window — the conversion happened after the user merely saw the ad without clicking. Weaker signal, and famously over-counted (see view-through conversion).
A setting of "7-day click, 1-day view" means: count a conversion if it happens within 7 days of a click or within 1 day of an impression. View windows are always shorter because the signal is softer.
Default windows by platform (2026)
- Meta — 7-day click + 1-day view by default. Options include 1-day click, 7-day click, and 7-day click + 1-day view.
- Google Ads — configurable click-through window up to 90 days, commonly defaulted to 30 days per conversion action. Data-driven and position-based models are available.
- TikTok — 7-day click + 1-day view by default; click window configurable up to 28 days, view up to 7.
- Microsoft Advertising — up to 90 days.
- Affiliate networks — don't expose an "attribution window" as such; they pay on the cookie window under last-click.
Why window length changes your reported ROAS
A longer window captures more delayed conversions, so the same campaign reports more conversions and a higher ROAS on a 7-day window than on a 1-day window — without anything about the campaign actually changing. When you compare two campaigns, or read someone's case-study ROAS, the attribution window is a hidden variable. Always note it.
Picking a window for analysis
Match the window to your buying cycle and hold it constant so comparisons stay fair:
- Impulse offers — 1-day click.
- Considered purchases — 7-day click.
- Long cycles / SaaS — 28-90 day click.
Discount view-through conversions heavily — they inflate the picture. And remember: for what actually pays you, your network's cookie window and last-click rule are the only attribution that matters; the ad platform's window only governs how it optimizes. The tracking-setup playbook wires both sides together.