An attribution window is the time after an ad click, view or engagement in which a conversion can be credited to that ad. In Meta ads, you set it in each ad set's attribution setting, and the default is 7-day click and 1-day view.
Click-through, view-through and engage-through
Meta's attribution settings page lists three kinds of window for website and in-store conversions:
| Type | What counts | Windows Meta offers |
|---|---|---|
| Click-through | Conversions after a link click on your ad | 1 day or 7 days |
| View-through | Conversions after someone sees your ad without clicking | 1 day |
| Engage-through | Conversions after a click that isn't a link click. For video, a 5-second play, or 97% of videos shorter than 5 seconds | 1 day |
The longer the window, the more conversions an ad can claim. That doesn't mean the ad caused more sales, only that it gets credit for more of them.
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You pick an attribution model at the ad set level. Meta supports standard and incremental models, and offers custom attribution too:
- Standard credits conversions after impressions, clicks or engagements, within the windows you choose.
- Incremental optimizes for conversions a model predicts the ad caused, and reports on them.
- Custom lets you share attribution data from your own analytics tool, so delivery follows your logic.
The setting shapes delivery, not only reporting. Meta says standard attribution optimizes delivery for the windows and behaviors you select.
Meta also warns that results can't be compared across ad sets with different attribution models in the overview table. To see one ad set's results under other windows, use the compare attribution settings feature in Ads Manager.
Reporting tools changed too. From 12 January 2026, Meta's Ads Insights API no longer returns 7-day view and 28-day view windows. It still returns 1-day click, 7-day click, 28-day click, 1-day engaged view and 1-day view. It also returns default values based on each advertiser's attribution settings.
Some campaign types can't use every setting. Meta lists iOS 14 and later app campaigns among them, as covered in our post on Apple's iOS 14 changes.
How to check your attribution setting
- Open an ad set in Ads Manager and find its attribution setting. It sits at the ad set level.
- Check that ad sets you plan to compare use the same model and setting.
- Use the compare attribution settings feature to see results under other windows.
- When you compare with your store or analytics data, note which window each source uses.
- On a marketing dashboard, label the window behind every channel's number.
Which window to use
This is general guidance, not Meta's. Match the window to how long your customers take to decide:
- 1-day click fits impulse buys and low prices, where people act right away.
- 7-day click fits purchases people think over for a few days.
- 1-day view adds people who saw the ad and bought without clicking. It helps video and awareness ads, but it also credits some people who would have bought anyway.
Whatever you choose, keep it steady. Changing windows mid-test makes before and after numbers impossible to compare.
Example. Someone clicks your ad on Monday and buys on Friday. With 7-day click, Meta credits the ad. With 1-day click, it doesn't. If they had only seen the ad and bought the same day, 1-day view would credit it.
In Madgicx. Cross-channel reports put Meta, Google Ads, TikTok and Klaviyo results side by side. You can compare each platform's credited sales with your actual revenue, and share the view by link or PDF.
FAQ
Which attribution windows does Meta offer?
Meta offers 1-day or 7-day click, 1-day view and 1-day engage-through for website and in-store conversions under standard attribution. You choose them in each ad set's attribution setting.
What is Meta's default attribution window?
Meta's default attribution window is 7-day click and 1-day view: a conversion counts if it happens within 7 days of a click or 1 day of a view. Each ad set can use a different setting, and its results in Ads Manager follow that setting.
Does Meta still offer 28-day attribution?
No, not as an ad set setting. The 28-day click window is still available in Ads Insights API reporting, but Meta stopped returning 7-day view and 28-day view windows on 12 January 2026.
Should I use 1-day or 7-day click attribution?
Use 7-day click if buyers usually take a few days to decide, and 1-day click if they buy on the spot. Compare both with the compare attribution settings feature before switching.
What is the difference between an attribution window and an attribution model?
An attribution window sets how long after an ad interaction a conversion can count. An attribution model sets how credit is given: Meta offers standard and incremental models, plus custom attribution.
Related
- In depth: Facebook ads attribution and Meta ads revenue attribution
- Answer: Why Ads Manager results differ from revenue
Sources
- About attribution models and attribution settings, Meta Business Help Center
- Ads Insights API metric availability updates, Meta for Developers blog, 16 Oct 2025
