Extreme Attribution Window Configuration
One or more Google Ads conversion actions in this account have attribution windows that fall outside normal ranges. A purchase action with a click window over 60 days, a view-through window longer than the click window, or a click window under a day. Each of these patterns is rarely intentional and usually means somebody adjusted a window without realizing how it changes attribution.
Why It Matters
Google Ads attribution windows define how long after an interaction a conversion can be credited to it. Click windows for most purchase actions sit at 30 to 90 days. View-through windows for display and YouTube usually sit at 1 to 7 days. The relationships matter. A click window should be longer than the view window on the same action, because a click is a stronger signal than a view and deserves more credit-time. Three anti-patterns show up in audits. First, a purchase action with a 120-day or 180-day click window. That over-attributes purchases to old clicks and inflates campaign ROAS. Second, a view window longer than the click window, which is the inverse of what attribution research recommends. Third, a click window measured in hours rather than days, usually a configuration mistake that excludes the majority of real conversions. The finding is warning-level because the attribution choices may be intentional for specific business reasons (a B2B account with a known 90-day sales cycle, a brand campaign experimenting with view-through). But the configuration deserves a deliberate review rather than the default of "whoever last touched the settings."
How To Fix It
- Open the AdLint details and list each flagged action with its click window, view window, and category.
- For each, decide whether the configuration is intentional. Check the Time Lag report in Google Ads to see the actual distribution of click-to-conversion delay for the business.
- Set the click window to capture the 90th percentile of historical delay. Typical values: 7 to 30 days for direct-response, 30 to 60 days for considered purchases, 60 to 90 days for B2B leads.
- Set the view window to no more than half the click window, usually 1 to 7 days.
- Annotate the change date. Historical reporting will shift as conversions enter or exit the new windows.
Example
Action: "Purchase"
Click window: 90 days
View window: 14 days
Issue: view window longer than typical, but click window is reasonable for a considered-purchase site.This Google Ads account has conversion actions with attribution window configurations that fall outside normal ranges, such as click windows over 60 days on purchase actions, view windows longer than click windows, or sub-day click windows. Per Google's attribution-window documentation, the click window should reflect the realistic click-to-conversion delay for the business and should exceed the view window on the same action. Mismatched windows cause systematic over- or under-attribution that distorts campaign ROAS and biases Smart Bidding feedback. Fix: review the actual conversion-lag distribution in the Time Lag report, set the click window to the 90th percentile of historical delay, set the view window to no more than half the click window, and annotate the change date for downstream reporting. Source: support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3123169.
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References
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