What’s a Lookback Window?

A lookback window defines how far back in time we consider touchpoints (like ad clicks or views) when attributing an order.

For example:

• With an infinite lookback, a Facebook ad click from two years ago could still receive credit for a purchase made today.
• With a 90-day lookback, only touchpoints that occurred within the 90 days before the order are eligible for credit.

By setting a lookback window, you keep journeys realistic and prevent credit from being assigned to interactions that happened too far in the past.

How This Differs From Attribution Windows

It’s easy to confuse lookback windows with attribution windows, but they answer different questions:

• Attribution Windows: “How long after a click or view can this touchpoint still get credit if a purchase happens?”
  • Example: A 7-day attribution window means a click today can earn credit for any order placed within the next 7 days.
• Lookback Windows: “How far back in time do we even consider touchpoints as eligible for credit?”
  • Example: A 90-day lookback means a click from 6 months ago is ignored completely — even if the attribution window (ex. "LTV" window) would have otherwise covered it.

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Learn more about Attribution Windows here: Attribution Windows Documentation

Why This Matters

Without a lookback window, long-tenured customers can end up with journeys that stretch back years. This can cause:

1. Unrealistic credit allocation — credit gets sent to ads long in the past.
2. Distorted returning customer revenue — revenue may appear lower in recent periods because it’s being attributed far back in time.
3. Inflated touchpoint counts — journeys can include years of activity, making them hard to interpret.

When a lookback window is applied, we typically see the largest impact on returning customer revenue, since returning customers are more likely to have older touchpoints. New customer revenue is usually much less affected.

How to Change Your Lookback Window

1. Go to Settings → Model Settings.
2. Select your preferred lookback window (90 days, 180 days, 1 year, or 10 years). The default is 180 days.
3. Once updated, your data will automatically restate within 24 hours.

Key Takeaways

• Lookback windows set the bounds on how far back we consider touchpoints for attribution.
• This prevents unrealistic journeys (e.g., giving credit to a two-year-old ad).
• Returning customer revenue is typically most affected — but new customer revenue can shift too.
• Choose the lookback that still reflects your sales cycle.