What Is an Attribution Window? How Ad Platforms Credit Conversions

An attribution window (also called a conversion window) is the time period after an ad interaction (click or view) during which a subsequent conversion will be credited to that interaction. If a customer clicks your ad today and books a service 15 days later, the conversion is attributed to the click — but only if 15 days falls within your attribution window.

For The Upload Offline Conversions App (TUOCA), understanding attribution windows is essential because offline conversions inherently involve a time lag between the ad click and the conversion event.

How Attribution Windows Work

Day 0: Customer clicks your Google Ad
         ↓
Day 0-[Window]: Any conversion uploaded is attributed to this click
         ↓
Day [Window]+1: Conversion is NOT attributed (window closed)

Example with a 30-Day Window

Day 0:  Click on "HVAC Repair" ad           → Window opens
Day 3:  Customer calls for estimate          → Within window ✅
Day 14: Job booked                           → Within window ✅
Day 28: Job completed, $4,500 invoice        → Within window ✅
Day 35: Follow-up service booked             → Outside window ❌

The $4,500 job on day 28 is attributed to the original click. The follow-up on day 35 is not.

Attribution Windows by Platform

Platform	Click-Through Window	View-Through Window	Offline/API Upload Limit
Google Ads	1-90 days (configurable, default 30)	1-30 days (default 1)	90 days (GCLID validity)
Meta	1-7 days (default 7)	1 day (default 1)	7 days (CAPI event window)
Microsoft Ads	1-90 days (configurable, default 30)	1-30 days	90 days (MSCLKID validity)
TikTok	1-28 days (configurable, default 7)	1 day	28 days (Events API window)

The Key Distinction

• Attribution window — How long after a click a conversion counts toward campaign performance
• Upload window — How long after a click you can physically upload the conversion data

These are sometimes the same (Meta: 7 days for both) and sometimes different (Google: 30-day attribution default, but you can upload up to 90 days via GCLID).

Click-Through vs. View-Through Windows

Click-Through

The user clicked your ad, then converted later. This is the primary window for offline conversions.

View-Through

The user saw your ad (Display, YouTube, etc.) but didn’t click. They later converted. View-through attribution is less relevant for offline conversion uploads because there’s no click ID to match.

Configuring Your Attribution Window

In Google Ads

1. Go to Goals → Conversions → Summary
2. Click on your conversion action
3. Click Edit settings
4. Scroll to Click-through conversion window
5. Select: 1, 7, 14, 30, 60, or 90 days

Choosing the Right Window

Business Type	Typical Sales Cycle	Recommended Window
Emergency services (locksmith, plumbing)	0-3 days	7-14 days
Home services (HVAC, electrical)	3-14 days	30 days
Home improvement (roofing, remodeling)	7-30 days	60 days
Legal services	7-30 days	60 days
B2B / enterprise	30-90 days	90 days
Dental / medical	3-14 days	30 days

Use the Conversion Lag Calculator to analyze your actual sales cycle and choose the right window.

Setting It Too Narrow

If your window is too narrow, legitimate conversions are lost:

Window: 7 days
Sales cycle: 14 days average
Result: ~50% of conversions fall outside the window and are never attributed
Smart Bidding impact: Algorithm undervalues the campaign (sees half the conversions)

Setting It Too Wide

If your window is too wide, unrelated conversions may be attributed:

Window: 90 days
Scenario: User clicks ad on Day 1, forgets about it, searches organically on Day 80, converts
Result: Conversion attributed to the Day 1 click, inflating ad effectiveness
Smart Bidding impact: Algorithm overvalues certain clicks

Attribution Window and Offline Conversion Timing

For offline conversions, the timing chain has multiple components:

Click Date → Conversion Date → Upload Date → Processing Date → Report Date

Event	When It Happens	What Matters
Click	Day 0	Start of the attribution window
Conversion	Day X	Must be within the attribution window
Upload	Day Y	Must be within the upload window (GCLID validity)
Processing	Day Y + 4-6 hours	Google’s processing delay
Report	Day Y + 4-6 hours	Appears on the click date, not upload date

Key insight: The conversion is attributed to the click date, not the upload date. See Google Ads Click Date vs. Conversion Date for details.

How TUOCA Handles Attribution Windows

TUOCA is designed to keep your conversions within attribution windows:

1. Timely uploads — Automated relay schedules (hourly/daily) ensure conversions are uploaded promptly
2. Window validation — TUOCA checks each record’s click-to-conversion time against the platform’s window
3. Expiration warnings — Records approaching the window limit are flagged in Activity Logs
4. Multi-platform routing — Each platform’s window is respected independently (7 days for Meta, 90 days for Google)
5. Intermediate events — For long sales cycles, TUOCA can upload funnel-stage events (Qualified Lead, Proposal) to stay within windows

Best Practices

1. Measure your actual sales cycle — Use the Conversion Lag Calculator
2. Set the window to match — Add a buffer (e.g., if average is 14 days, set to 30)
3. Upload frequently — Daily uploads prevent conversions from aging out
4. Use intermediate events for long cycles — Upload “Qualified Lead” on day 7 even if the sale closes on day 60
5. Be extra careful with Meta — The 7-day window is tight; upload within 24-48 hours when possible