Attribution Window Too Short

Google Ads attribution windows define how long after an ad interaction a conversion can be credited to that interaction. The default click-through window varies by conversion type (90 days for most goals, shorter for some). When a team has manually shortened the window. Usually during a previous "let's only count immediate conversions" initiative. That any conversion taking longer than that window simply doesn't exist in Google Ads reports. The campaign appears to perform worse than it does, Smart Bidding learns from incomplete feedback, and budget shifts away from campaigns whose real value shows up after the window expires. This is most damaging for B2B (long sales cycles), considered purchases (cars, mortgages, furniture), and any flow where the conversion involves a non-immediate decision.

1. Determine the real click-to-conversion delay for each conversion action. Google Ads → Reports → Predefined → Time → Time lag shows the distribution.
2. Pick a window that captures the 90th percentile of historical conversion lag. Typical values: 7-14 days for immediate direct-response purchases, 30 days for medium-cycle considered goods, 60-90 days for B2B leads and SaaS trials.
3. In Tools & Settings → Measurement → Conversions, edit each flagged action and update Click-through conversion window.
4. Annotate the change date. Historical conversion counts will retroactively increase as previously-uncounted conversions enter the new window.
5. Wait one full cycle (60-90 days) before judging restored campaign performance against the new baseline.