The window is the clock on attribution. A click starts it; if the purchase happens before it runs out, the click gets credit. Change the window and the same sales move between channels, which is why two reports on the same month can disagree.
The platforms set their own. Meta’s attribution setting for new ad sets has defaulted to 7-day click or 1-day view since September 2021 (Meta); its developer blog notes that from 12 January 2026 the Ads Insights API no longer returns 7-day view and 28-day view, leaving 1-day click, 7-day click, 28-day click and 1-day view (Meta). Affiliate programs vary more: Shopify tracks referrals for 30 days from the click (Shopify); HubSpot uses a 180-day cookie (HubSpot).
Example. A creator’s link is clicked on 1 March. The viewer buys on 6 March. Under a 7-day window the creator is credited; under a 1-day window they are not. If the viewer buys on 20 March, only a 30-day or longer window credits the creator. Example, not a rule.
When brands use it. The pain this answers: “I have no idea which creator actually drove sales.” Brands choose a window that matches how long their customers take to decide. A $30 impulse product fits 7 days. A $900 mattress may need 30 or more. A longer window credits creators more generously and makes the numbers less comparable with the ad platform’s.
The creator’s view. The window is the second question to ask after the rate. A generous rate on a 1-day window can pay less than a modest rate on 30 days. Codes extend the practical window to whenever the buyer remembers the code.
On HourlyUGC. When HourlyUGC counts sales itself, the window is 7 days, last touch, with creator links and codes.