Attribution Window
An attribution window (or conversion window) is the period after an ad interaction during which a resulting conversion is credited to that ad. If a user clicks an ad and converts 20 days later, a 30-day click window credits the ad; a 7-day window does not. The window you choose materially changes which channels appear to drive results.
In depth
Default windows (often 7-day click) under-credit channels with long sales cycles, a B2B SaaS with a 45-day cycle will systematically undervalue its top-of-funnel ads under a 7-day window.
Match the window to your real decision time: short for DTC e-commerce, long (28-90 day) for B2B, high-ticket services, or considered purchases.
Google Ads and GA4 maintain separate attribution settings, a mismatch between them is a common reason platform-reported conversions don't reconcile.
Shortening a window mid-campaign makes performance look worse without anything actually changing; always note window changes when comparing periods.
Common misconception
A shorter attribution window doesn't make your ads less effective, it just credits fewer of the conversions they actually influenced. Teams that shrink windows to 'be conservative' often cut their best top-of-funnel campaigns based on artificially low numbers.
Source: Google Ads Help: About conversion attribution
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