Attribution Window

How Attribution Window Works

Attribution windows are defined separately for click-through conversions and view-through conversions. A click attribution window might be set to 30 days, meaning a user who clicked an ad and converted any time in the following 30 days is attributed to that ad. View-through windows are typically shorter (1-7 days). Most platforms support windows from 1 day to 90 days for clicks. Google Ads default click attribution is 30 days; Meta's default is 7-day click, 1-day view.

Why Attribution Window Matters for B2B Marketing

The appropriate attribution window depends on your purchase cycle length and product complexity. For impulse purchases (e-commerce, low-cost SaaS trials), 7-day click windows are often sufficient. For B2B SaaS with long evaluation cycles, 60-90 day windows may be necessary to capture late conversions. Setting a window too short undercounts conversions and undervalues channels that initiate research even when purchase happens later.

Attribution Window: Best Practices & Strategic Application

Attribution windows also affect Smart Bidding algorithms. Google's Target CPA and Target ROAS use conversion data within the attribution window to train their models. A shorter window means the algorithm bases bids on fewer conversions and may undervalue campaigns that drive delayed conversions. Google recommends accounting for conversion lag — the average time between click and conversion — when selecting window length.

Agency Perspective: Attribution Window in Practice

At MV3, we audit attribution window settings during onboarding for every client. A common misconfiguration is running B2B lead gen campaigns on 7-day windows when the sales cycle from form fill to closed deal is 30-90 days. We extend windows to 30-60 days for B2B accounts and set up separate conversion actions for micro-conversions (7-day window) and macro-conversions (30-60 day window) to balance Smart Bidding data density with accuracy.