An attribution window is the time period after an ad interaction within which an install or in-app event is credited to that ad.
An attribution window (also called a lookback window) defines how long after an ad interaction (a click or an impression) a subsequent install or conversion can be attributed to that ad. A 7-day click attribution window means that if a user clicks your ad and installs the app within 7 days, that install is credited to the ad. An install on Day 8 would not be credited.
Attribution windows exist for both click interactions (typically 7–30 days) and view interactions (typically 1–24 hours). The window length represents a judgment about how long an ad interaction can plausibly influence behavior. Clicks have longer windows than views because they signal stronger intent.
Window configuration directly affects measured ROAS and CPI. Shortening an attribution window reduces attributed installs (raising apparent CPI) but may provide cleaner, less-inflated data. Comparing campaigns across different attribution windows is misleading and a common source of data confusion.
Attribution window choice affects every performance metric you report. A 30-day click window will attribute more installs to your ads than a 7-day window, not because performance differs, but because more organic or multi-touch installs fall within the longer window. Aligning attribution window settings across your MMP and ad networks is essential for consistent reporting.
Example
“A user sees a Meta ad on Monday, searches for the app independently on Thursday, and installs on Friday. With a 7-day click window set in AppsFlyer, Meta receives credit. Without the window or with a 1-day window, this install goes unattributed.”
Click-through attribution credits an ad for a conversion when a user clicked the ad and then completed the action within the attribution window.
Learn moreMobile AttributionView-through attribution credits an ad for a conversion when a user saw (but did not click) the ad and then converted within the attribution window.
Learn moreMobile AttributionAn MMP is an independent third-party platform that attributes app installs and in-app events to the advertising sources that drove them.
Learn moreMobile AttributionSKAdNetwork is Apple's privacy-preserving mobile attribution framework for iOS, which reports campaign-level install and conversion data without revealing individual user identity.
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