- The 7-day click window records a conversion only if the user clicked your ad within the past 7 days.
- Google Ads defaults to a 30-day click window — 7 days is a manual choice for specific use cases.
- Google recommends a 7-day window for store visit conversions and time-sensitive promotions.
- Shorter windows reduce recorded conversions and can weaken Smart Bidding signal — match the window to your purchase cycle.
- Conversion windows and attribution models are separate settings: windows set scope, models split credit.
- Check your path length report before changing any window to avoid unintended drops in conversion data.
The 7-day click attribution window tells Google Ads to credit a conversion only if the user clicked your ad within the past 7 days. Shorter than the default 30-day window, it is a precision tool. Learn when to use it and how it changes your performance data.
What Is the 7-Day Click Attribution Window?
A click attribution window is the period after an ad click during which Google Ads records a conversion. Per the Google Ads Help Center, if a user clicks your ad and converts within that window, the conversion is attributed to the click. Outside the window, the conversion is not counted.
With a 7-day window: click today, convert by day 7, it counts. Convert on day 8, it does not.
This is a manual setting. Google Ads defaults to 30 days. You choose 7 days when a shorter cycle matches your customers' actual buying behavior.
How Google Ads Default Conversion Windows Work
Default 30-day window
Out of the box, Google Ads uses a 30-day click conversion window. Any conversion within 30 days of a click gets attributed to that ad. For most industries with considered purchase decisions, this default covers the full decision cycle.
Why Google recommends at least 7 days
Per Google's conversion window documentation, windows of at least 7 days provide a richer set of conversion data than shorter windows. Fewer than 7 days can starve Smart Bidding of the signal it needs to optimize bids effectively. Seven days is the practical minimum Google recommends for meaningful automated optimization.
How conversion windows affect your data
A shorter window records fewer conversions. That is not a flaw. It is a narrower definition of credit. But if your Smart Bidding strategy relies on conversion volume to optimize, trimming the window too aggressively will hurt the algorithm. Lower signal means less reliable automated bidding. Know your average time-to-conversion before making any change.
When to Use a 7-Day Conversion Window
Time-sensitive campaigns and promotions
Running a weekend flash sale or a 5-day discount event? A 30-day window counts conversions that happen long after your promotion ends. That muddies the read on whether the sale itself drove results. A 7-day window matches the actual decision timeline and keeps your performance data clean.
Store visit conversions
Google specifically recommends a 7-day window for click-attributed store visits. The Google Ads Help Center on store visit conversion windows states that if you include store visits in your Conversions column and Smart Bidding strategies, a 7-day click window is the right choice. Most customers who walk into a store after seeing a search ad do so within days, not weeks.
Low customer purchase cycle
Impulse buys, consumables, and local service bookings rarely take 30 days to close. If your typical customer converts within a week of clicking, a 30-day window inflates your attributed conversions and can mislead your bidding strategy. Match the window to your real purchase cycle.
Mobile and app-focused advertising
App campaigns have conversion window settings separate from Search and Display. In-app events and installs tend to happen fast, making shorter windows a better fit. Always configure conversion windows inside the specific conversion action for each App campaign. They are independent of your Search and Display settings.
How to Set a Custom Conversion Window in Google Ads
Finding your conversion settings
- Sign in to Google Ads.
- Click the Goals icon in the top navigation.
- Select Conversions, then Summary.
- Click the conversion action you want to update.
- Click Edit settings and scroll to Click-through conversion window.
Choosing your window length
Google Ads offers windows of 1, 7, 30, 60, or 90 days for Search and Display campaigns. Pick 7 days when your campaign matches one of the use cases above. Changes apply going forward. Historical data keeps its original window, so plan ahead before major campaigns launch.
Viewing results in attribution reports
After updating your window, use the Attribution report to validate your choice. The Lookback window control inside Attribution reports lets you compare how 30-, 60-, or 90-day windows would have credited your conversions. Per Google's attribution reports documentation, this analysis helps you understand the impact of any window change before making it permanent.
Attribution Windows vs. Attribution Models
Understanding the difference
These two settings get conflated constantly. A conversion window defines the lookback period. how many days back from a conversion does Google search for a responsible click? An attribution model defines credit distribution. among all the clicks inside that window, how much credit does each one receive?
They are separate controls. Changing one does not change the other.
Last-click vs. multi-touch attribution
Per Google's attribution model documentation, most advertisers default to last-click. That model gives 100% of conversion credit to the final click before the conversion. Multi-touch models, including linear, time decay, and data-driven, spread credit across multiple touchpoints in the path. Your window determines what is in scope. Your model determines how credit splits within that scope. Set both with intent.
What This Means for Your Campaign Performance
Your conversion window is one of the highest-leverage settings in your Google Ads account. It shapes what Smart Bidding optimizes toward, what your reported ROAS looks like, and how you diagnose campaign problems.
A 7-day click window is not universally better than 30 days. It is the right tool for specific situations. fast purchase cycles, time-limited promotions, and store visit conversions. In those cases, the narrower window makes your data more accurate and your bidding signals cleaner.
Check your path length report before changing any window. If most of your conversions already happen within 7 days, moving to a 7-day window costs you little. If conversions cluster at day 14 or later, shortening the window will reduce your reported numbers and weaken your bidding.
Revisit this setting whenever you launch a new campaign type or enter a new product category. Purchase cycles vary by product, not just by account.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the default conversion window in Google Ads?
Google Ads uses a 30-day click conversion window by default. Any conversion that happens within 30 days of an ad click is attributed to that click unless you manually change the setting.
When should I use a 7-day click attribution window?
Use a 7-day window for short promotions or flash sales, store visit conversions (Google specifically recommends this), products with fast purchase cycles, and campaigns where you want tighter, cleaner conversion data.
Does changing my conversion window affect historical data?
No. Changes to your conversion window apply going forward only. Historical conversions keep the window that was active when they were recorded.
What is the difference between a conversion window and an attribution model?
A conversion window sets the lookback period — how many days after a click Google looks for a conversion. An attribution model decides how credit is split among clicks within that window. They are separate settings and changing one does not affect the other.