Attribution Window

The attribution window (also called cookie duration) determines how long after clicking an affiliate link a customer can make a purchase and still credit the affiliate. This guide covers configuration and best practices.

What Is Attribution Window?

When a visitor clicks an affiliate link:

• A cookie is set with an expiration date
• If they purchase within that window → affiliate gets credit
• If they purchase after the window expires → no attribution

Example

With a 30-day window:

• Day 1: Visitor clicks affiliate link
• Day 15: Visitor returns and purchases → Affiliate credited
• Day 45: Visitor returns and purchases → No credit (window expired)

Default Settings

AffiliateBase default: 30 days

This can be customized per campaign.

Configuring Attribution Window

Per Campaign

1. Go to Campaigns
2. Select a campaign
3. Find Days before referrals expire
4. Set your desired window
5. Save changes

Common Windows

Window	Best For
7 days	Impulse purchases, low-cost products
30 days	Standard SaaS, most products (default)
60 days	Considered purchases, B2B products
90 days	High-ticket items, enterprise sales
180 days	Very long sales cycles

Choosing Your Window

Consider Your Sales Cycle

How long do customers typically take to decide?

• Same-day purchases: 7-14 days sufficient
• Week-long consideration: 30 days standard
• Month-long evaluation: 60-90 days appropriate
• Enterprise deals: 90-180 days may be needed

Consider Affiliate Expectations

Affiliates prefer longer windows because:

• More time for conversions
• Higher earning potential
• Reflects marketing reality

But too long can:

• Inflate attribution unfairly
• Complicate tracking
• Conflict with other marketing efforts

Industry Benchmarks

Industry	Typical Window
Consumer SaaS	30 days
B2B SaaS	60-90 days
E-commerce	14-30 days
Courses/Education	30-60 days
Enterprise	90-180 days

How Window Affects Referrals

During Window

While the window is active:

• Referral is “active”
• New conversions attributed to affiliate
• Return visits maintain attribution

After Window Expires

When the window expires:

• Referral becomes “frozen”
• No new conversions attributed
• Existing conversions/commissions unaffected

Window Reset

When does the window reset?

• New click: Clicking another affiliate’s link resets the window
• Same affiliate click: Typically extends the window
• Purchase: Doesn’t reset the window (can purchase multiple times within window)

Multiple Clicks Behavior

Last-Click Wins

With default last-click attribution:

Day 1: Click Affiliate A → 30-day window starts
Day 10: Click Affiliate B → New 30-day window starts
Day 20: Purchase → Affiliate B credited

First-Click Wins

With first-click attribution:

Day 1: Click Affiliate A → 30-day window starts
Day 10: Click Affiliate B → Window continues for A
Day 20: Purchase → Affiliate A credited

Commission Due Date

Related to attribution window is the commission due date:

• Attribution window: How long affiliate can get credit
• Commission due date: When commission becomes payable

These can be configured separately:

• 30-day attribution window
• Commission due 30 days after purchase

This means affiliates might earn commission up to 60 days after their original referral click.

Impact on Affiliate Earnings

Longer Windows

Pros:

• More conversions attributed
• Happy affiliates
• Reflects real customer journeys

Cons:

• Attribution accuracy decreases
• May credit affiliates for organic conversions
• Harder to measure affiliate effectiveness

Shorter Windows

Pros:

• More accurate attribution
• Clearer ROI measurement
• Less risk of over-attribution

Cons:

• Fewer credited conversions
• Affiliates may prefer competitors
• May miss legitimate referrals

Testing Window Settings

A/B Testing Approach

1. Create two similar campaigns
2. Set different windows (e.g., 30 vs 60 days)
3. Assign similar affiliates to each
4. Compare conversion rates and affiliate satisfaction

Metrics to Watch

• Conversion rate within window
• Average time to conversion
• Affiliate feedback
• Attribution accuracy

Best Practices

Be Transparent

Tell affiliates:

• Exact window duration
• How window is calculated
• What happens at expiration

Be Consistent

Apply same rules to all affiliates in a campaign for fairness.

Review Regularly

Analyze your data:

• What % convert within 7 days?
• What % convert between 7-30 days?
• What % convert after 30 days?

Adjust window based on actual behavior.

Match Your Sales Cycle

If 90% of sales happen within 14 days, a 30-day window is probably sufficient. If 40% happen between days 15-30, you might extend.

Technical Details

Cookie Expiration

The tracking cookie expires at window end:

Click date: January 1
Window: 30 days
Cookie expires: January 31 at 23:59:59

Timezone Handling

Expiration based on:

• Server time (UTC)
• Applied consistently

Referral Freeze

When a referral is frozen:

• Status changes to “frozen”
• No new conversions linked
• Historical data preserved

Troubleshooting

Conversion Not Credited

If a conversion wasn’t attributed:

1. Check when original click occurred
2. Verify window hadn’t expired
3. Check for newer affiliate clicks
4. Review attribution priority rules

Window Seems Wrong

1. Verify campaign settings
2. Check for individual overrides
3. Consider timezone differences
4. Test with known click date

Next Steps

• Learn about how attribution works
• Configure conversion tracking
• Set up commission rates