How Do Ad Attribution Conversion Windows Work?

What is an ad attribution conversion window and how does it work?

In short, ad attribution is the way in which ads from different marketing channels (e.g. Pinterest) are “credited” for earning user behavior (e.g. app install).

Whether or not a conversion is is attributed to an ad network depends on the attribution conversion window, which is the period of time (after the user engages with an ad) that a user’s behavior may be credited back to an ad.

If the user’s activity takes place within the window, then the ad network receives the attribution. If the user’s activity takes place beyond the window, then the ad network is not attributed. In mobile advertising, the channel that receives credit for user behavior that cannot be attributed to an ad is the organic reporting bucket. In Google Analytics, this is the direct bucket.

In the above spreadsheet, several traditional install attribution settings are listed, along with scenarios indicating whether the attribution window would credit the ad with the install, depending on how long the install occurred after the user’s initial click. As you can see, if the user’s install occurs beyond the number of days indicated in the attribution window, the user’s install will be credited to organic, and not the ad.

In the above spreadsheet, several default attribution settings are listed for a few popular networks as well as AppsFlyer, along with…