What is an attribution window?

An attribution window (or conversion window) is a defined period of time in which a publisher can claim that a click or impression led to an install. For example, an advertiser sets an attribution window of seven days. If a user clicks on a publisher’s ad and installs within that time, that publisher receives the credit. 

Attribution windows play a vital role for both advertisers and publishers in understanding when conversions take place. Often, there's a gap between when a user is exposed to an advertisement and when they actually install the app. 

Consider a scenario where a user sees a game advertised on a social media platform during their morning commute. They might not install the app immediately, but remember to do so on their way home from work in the evening. Without an appropriate attribution window, these users could be mistakenly classified as organic installs, resulting in publishers losing out on deserved credit and compensation.

Attribution windows are essential for connecting specific user interactions—such as ad clicks (click-through) or ad impressions without clicks (view-through)—to later conversion events like app installs or purchases. These windows allow marketers to understand not just whether a user engaged with an ad, but when that engagement led to a conversion.

The ideal attribution window length should be aligned with the campaign’s goals, the type of user engagement you're expecting, and the nature of the ad format. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—it’s about finding a balance between capturing meaningful conversions and avoiding over-attribution.

Most mobile attribution platforms support different windows for click-through and view-through events. A common setup might include a 7-day click-through window and a 24-hour view-through window. This ensures that conversions are credited in a way that reflects how users typically interact with ads over time. Configuring the length of these windows allows advertisers to account for user behavior patterns, campaign strategy, and platform-specific limitations.

Shorter windows are typically suited to high-volume, low-intent ad formats, where installs tend to happen quickly if they happen at all. Longer windows work better for campaigns that involve more deliberate user decision-making or when the advertiser is interested in measuring long-term impact, such as retention or in-app value.

Here are some considerations to guide your attribution window setup(s):

Ad format

• Impression-based formats (e.g., banners, interstitials)
  These are often quick-glance experiences with limited user engagement. A 1-day or even shorter view-through window can help avoid attributing installs that are unlikely to be influenced by a fleeting ad exposure.
• Click-based formats (e.g., native ads, display ads)
  If users are expected to click and then install shortly after, a 7-day click-through window is a common industry standard.
• High-intent formats (e.g., rewarded videos, playable ads)
  Since these formats tend to indicate strong user interest, longer click-through windows—such as 14 or even 30 days—can capture more delayed conversions accurately.

Campaign objective

• Short-term performance goals
  Use tighter windows (1–7 days) to attribute only the most immediate, clearly influenced installs.
• Brand awareness or long-term engagement
  Broader attribution windows (up to 30 days) can help capture installs that result from repeated exposure or deeper consideration.

Placement and prominence

Premium in-app placements or homepage takeovers may warrant longer windows since the exposure is more memorable and may influence users over time.

Vertical or app type

Casual games or utility apps often see quick install behavior, favoring short windows. Finance, health, or productivity apps , on the other hand, may have longer decision-making cycles, making longer attribution windows more appropriate.

User journey and funnel complexity

If conversion typically happens after multiple touches or over several sessions, a longer attribution window helps capture the full value of early engagement.

Ultimately, attribution windows should be tested and optimized continuously. Start with standard defaults (e.g., 7-day click-through, 24-hour view-through), then refine based on real user behavior, LTV patterns, and the platforms you're advertising on.

Attribution windows don’t just determine which ad gets credit for a conversion—they also have a direct impact on how you measure and interpret campaign performance. The length and type of attribution window you choose can influence critical metrics such as cost per install (CPI), return on ad spend (ROAS), and customer lifetime value (LTV).

Why window configuration matters:

• CPI and ROAS fluctuation
  A shorter attribution window may result in fewer attributed installs, driving your CPI higher and making campaigns appear less effective. Conversely, longer windows might credit conversions that would have occurred organically, inflating ROAS and potentially leading to inefficient budget allocation.
• Misattributed or unattributed installs
  If a user installs just outside your set window—say, on day 8 of a 7-day click-through window—the install may be categorized as organic, even though it was influenced by paid media. This can cause undervaluation of top-of-funnel or longer consideration-path channels.
• Skewed LTV and cohort data
  Attribution window settings also impact cohort analysis. If windows are too short, your early install cohorts may appear less valuable because fewer users are tied to paid campaigns that drove high-value conversions. That makes it harder to calculate true revenue performance and optimize ad spend based on long-term value.
• Budget planning and optimization risks
  Inaccurate attribution leads to poor insights, which in turn affect decisions on scaling campaigns, reallocating budget, or testing new channels. If your attribution window doesn't reflect actual user behavior, your optimization efforts will be based on incomplete or misleading data.

Choosing and adjusting attribution windows thoughtfully is critical for accurate measurement. It ensures that your metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) tell the true story of how users interact with your marketing and when conversions actually happen.

Adjust supports full flexibility when it comes to setting attribution windows, allowing you to align measurement with the specific goals, formats, and platforms of your campaigns. By default, Adjust uses a seven day attribution window for click-based engagements and installs, and 24 hours for impression-based, reflecting standard industry practices. However, both can be customized to meet your needs.

You can define different attribution windows based on:

• Engagement type: Customize timeframes separately for clicks and impressions.
• Attribution method: Adjust supports deterministic attribution and probabilistic modeling for both clicks and impressions. The type of conversion and quality of user engagement determine which method we use.
• Reattribution logic: Set reattribution and inactivity windows to manage how returning users are counted.
• Temporary attribution: Lets marketers define how long a user remains attributed to a source (up to 90 days)—ideal for measuring short-term campaigns based on specific business goals.

For example, if you're running a campaign that uses high-engagement ad formats like playables, you might extend the click-based attribution window to 21 or 30 days to capture delayed conversions. On the other hand, a short-lived banner ad campaign might benefit from reducing the impression window to just a few hours. All attribution windows set with Adjust are fully configurable within your dashboard or via API, giving you control over how conversions are measured and credited. 

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