Attribution window
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In short
How long after a shopper clicks an affiliate link an order can still be credited to that affiliate and earn it commission.
What it means
The attribution window is the period after an affiliate click during which an order can still be credited to that affiliate. It's often called the cookie window, because the click has usually been stored in a cookie. Awin calls 30 days the industry standard.[Awin Help Center, Mar 2026] (opens the source) The window decides which clicks qualify. How long you can still reverse a commission is a separate clock, set by the network's locking or validation period.
On your store
A shopper clicks a creator's link and buys three weeks later. If your window is longer than three weeks the creator is credited, unless another affiliate's click came in between.
Why it matters
A long window pays partners for orders well after their influence; a short one cuts out content partners whose shoppers take time to decide. Under last click, the window matters less than who clicks last: a late click inside the window replaces an earlier one.
Sources
- 1Awin Help Center, “Understanding cookies in affiliate marketing”, Mar 2026. help.awin.com (opens the source)
Read next
Related terms
- Last-click attributionA crediting rule that gives the whole sale, and the whole commission, to the last affiliate whose link the shopper clicked before buying.
- Affiliate networkThe platform between a store and its affiliates that tracks clicks, codes and orders, decides who gets credit, and pays the commission.
- Cookie stuffingSetting an affiliate's tracking cookie without the shopper clicking that affiliate's link, so it gets credit and commission for a sale it didn't refer.
