Attribution window

Each tool defines its own window and counts its own touches, which is why the sum of what your tools report is larger than your revenue. A longer window flatters the tool. A view-through window credits an ad the shopper never clicked. None of this is fraud; it is the rule each platform sets for itself.

Why it matters for a store

The store pays by the platform's numbers and lives on its own. Knowing the windows lets a team read reports correctly: a 2.3 times gap between what Meta reports and what the store records, as our white paper on Bulgarian stores found, is mostly windows and view-through, not missing orders.

An example

A shopper clicks a Meta ad on Monday, gets a cart email on Wednesday and buys on Thursday. Meta counts the order inside its seven-day click window. The email tool counts it too. The store sold one coffee machine.

How the agent uses it

The agent counts every order once and shows revenue by channel on one rule, so the team can set the window it believes in. Ads audiences use server-side purchase events and single counting.

Related terms

See also Incrementality, Server-side tracking, Holdout group.

How much the window changes the number

At one retailer in July 2026, a conservative window reported 31% less attributed revenue than a permissive view-through setting on the same orders. The window is a choice; the orders are the facts.