Attribution window

An attribution window is the time period during which a conversion (signup, purchase, follow) can be credited to the piece of content that influenced it — typically 1, 7, or 28 days post-exposure.

Attribution windows reflect a tradeoff. Shorter windows (1 day) are accurate but miss conversions that happened from earlier-seen content; longer windows (28 days) catch the full effect but credit content that may not have been the actual driver. Different goals warrant different windows: an impulse purchase fits a 1-day window; a B2B signup that requires multiple touchpoints fits 28-day or longer.

Modern platforms have shortened available windows due to privacy changes (Meta’s ATT changes, third-party cookie deprecation). Brands relying on long windows have lost visibility into multi-touch attribution and now have to model it more explicitly rather than measuring it.

The wrong attribution window over- or under-counts content impact, leading to wrong decisions about what works. Choosing the window deliberately is part of measuring honestly.