Published by the Zolyp team ·
What do TikTok's attribution types mean?
Attribution decides which conversions TikTok credits to your ads. TikTok uses three types:
| Type | Credits a conversion when someone | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Click-through (CTA) | Clicked your ad before converting | Reported as CTA conversions, CTA purchase and so on |
| View-through (VTA) | Saw your ad, without clicking, before converting | Counted by impression time |
| Engaged view-through (EVTA) | Watched at least 6 seconds (or all of a shorter video) before converting | For App promotion, Lead generation and Sales objectives |
Sources: TikTok Business Help Center: Attribution Metrics, checked 15 October 2026; TikTok Business Help Center: About Engaged View-Through Attribution, checked 15 October 2026
How do you set the attribution window on a TikTok ad group?
TikTok's steps:
- Log in to TikTok Ads Manager and click Campaigns.
- Enter your campaign details, then your ad group details.
- Open the bidding and optimisation section.
- In Attribution settings, click the edit icon.
- Choose the click-through window (1, 7, 14 or 28 days) and view-through window (off, 1 or 7 days).
- Choose the event count: Every or Once.
- Click Next and carry on creating your ad.
- Attribution settings can't be changed once the ad group is published. To use a different window, create a new ad group.
Source: TikTok Business Help Center: How to Create Attribution Windows for your Ad Group, checked 15 October 2026
Which attribution windows can you choose?
TikTok's pages list different options depending on the setup, so check the one that matches your campaign:
- TikTok's 2022 launch post for Attribution Manager says Pixel and Web Events API advertisers default to 7-day click and 1-day view. No newer page we read restates the default, so check what Ads Manager shows.
| Source | Click-through | View-through | Engaged view-through |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad group settings (November 2025) | 1, 7, 14 or 28 days | Off, 1 or 7 days | Not listed |
| App campaigns on TikTok's Self-Attributing Network (February 2025) | 1 or 7 days | Off or 1 day | 1 or 7 days |
| Engaged view-through page (August 2025) | Not listed | Not listed | Off, 1, 7 or 28 days |
Sources: TikTok Business Help Center: How to Create Attribution Windows for your Ad Group, checked 15 October 2026; TikTok Business Help Center: About the attribution window on TikTok Ads Manager, checked 15 October 2026; TikTok Business Help Center: About Engaged View-Through Attribution, checked 15 October 2026; TikTok for Business: Flexible attribution windows (June 2022), checked 15 October 2026
Which attribution window should you use?
TikTok's guidance is to match the window to how long your customers take to decide:
- Quick purchases, such as a seasonal retail sale: 7-day click and 1-day view can work.
- Higher-involvement products or services that people research first: TikTok recommends going beyond 7 days for clicks and beyond 1 day for views.
- Keep the window the same across campaigns you plan to compare, or the numbers won't line up.
Source: TikTok for Business: Flexible attribution windows (June 2022), checked 15 October 2026
How do you see which conversions came from views or clicks?
EVTA conversions are included in the Conversions column according to your attribution settings. To split conversions into VTA, CTA and EVTA, add custom columns in the Ads Manager reporting view.
Sources: TikTok Business Help Center: About Engaged View-Through Attribution, checked 15 October 2026; TikTok Business Help Center: Attribution Metrics, checked 15 October 2026
Why don't TikTok's conversions match your other numbers?
Common reasons:
- Different windows: Ads Manager counts conversions within the window you set, which may not match your shop or analytics tool.
- App measurement partners: TikTok says its window doesn't change your partner's reporting and recommends keeping both settings the same. EVTA conversions show as click-through in partner reports.
- Missing tracking: website attribution needs the TikTok Pixel; app attribution needs an app in Events Manager connected to a measurement partner.
- View-through is switched on: it credits people who never clicked, so totals look higher than click-only tools.
Sources: TikTok Business Help Center: About the attribution window on TikTok Ads Manager, checked 15 October 2026; TikTok Business Help Center: About Engaged View-Through Attribution, checked 15 October 2026; TikTok Business Help Center: Attribution Metrics, checked 15 October 2026
Where Zolyp fits (from the team behind this guide)
Zolyp, which publishes this guide, is an AI social media manager: it plans, writes, designs and schedules posts for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads, and you approve the week before anything goes out. It doesn't measure ad conversions. Adding UTM tags to the links in your bio and posts helps you see organic TikTok visits separately in your own analytics.
Common questions
What is TikTok's default attribution window?
TikTok's 2022 Attribution Manager post says Pixel and Web Events API advertisers default to 7-day click and 1-day view. Check Ads Manager for your account's current setting.
Can I change the attribution window after publishing?
No. TikTok says attribution settings can't be changed once the ad group is published, so you need a new ad group.
What is engaged view-through attribution on TikTok?
Credit given when someone watched at least 6 seconds of your ad, or all of a shorter video, before converting. It's available for App promotion, Lead generation and Sales.
What is the longest attribution window on TikTok?
28 days for clicks at ad group level. View-through goes up to 7 days, and engaged view-through up to 28 days on TikTok's EVTA page.
Should I turn view-through attribution off?
It depends on how you measure. TikTok's Smart+ advice suggests trying it off if a campaign isn't spending its budget.