In this guide
- Meta attributes a conversion to an ad that the person clicked or, in some settings, viewed, within a window.
- Different windows give different numbers for the same campaign. Meta has changed available windows over time.
- Compare with your store numbers and use blended and profit views for decisions.
Meta's numbers rarely match anyone else's. That is not usually an error. It is a different counting rule. This page explains how Meta's attribution works, what the windows mean and how to read the results. Meta has changed its attribution options several times, so confirm the current ones in Ads Manager. See Facebook tracking and attribution tracking.
The basics
When someone converts, Meta looks back at the ads that person interacted with. If they clicked an ad within the click window, or viewed one within the view window (where the option exists), Meta credits the ad. If several ads qualify, Meta credits the most recent interaction among them. The credit is only for Meta ads, so a sale credited to Meta can also be credited to Google.
Raw events in. Clean events out.
Open Tracked collects each event on your own domain, removes the noise and sends what is left to Meta, Google Ads, TikTok.
Windows
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Click window (for example 1 day or 7 days) | A conversion counts if it happens within that time after a click |
| View window (where available) | A conversion counts if it happens within that time after seeing an ad without clicking |
| Shorter windows | Fewer conversions credited, closer to the sale |
| Longer windows | More conversions credited, more overlap with other channels |
Meta has changed which windows exist and the default. For example, it has reduced the view-based options in reporting. Check Ads Manager, and note the setting when you compare periods.
Why Meta and analytics differ
- Different rules. GA4 credits by its own model and windows.
- Overlap. Each platform credits the same sale.
- Lost events. Browser losses reduce what Meta sees, which server events recover. See attribution with server-side tracking.
- View-through. Meta may credit people who only saw the ad.
- Reporting delay. Conversions are attributed back to the click date.
3 things to remember
Scroll and the points stack up.
Meta attributes a conversion to an ad that the person clicked or, in some settings, viewed, within a window.
Different windows give different numbers for the same campaign. Meta has changed available windows over time.
Compare with your store numbers and use blended and profit views for decisions.
What to do
Choose a window and keep it
Change it rarely, and note the date.
Compare with the store
Meta purchases to store orders from Meta traffic.
Use click-based views for decisions
They are harder to inflate.
Check lift when it matters
A lift test or a holdout shows what the ads caused. See conversion lift studies.
Improve what Meta sees
Better data makes Meta's attribution more complete: send server events with a shared event ID, add hashed e-mail and phone, keep fbp and fbc alive and use the Data Store and Enricher for returning visitors. These are available on every Open Tracked plan. See event match quality.
One habit helps more than any setting: take a screenshot of your attribution setting and a week of numbers every month, and keep them with the date. When Meta changes a default or a window, you can see exactly when the series changed, and you will not mistake a change in counting for a change in performance. It takes two minutes and saves hours of confusion in quarterly reviews.
Brands that grow on cleaner data
Stores and agencies use Open Tracked to see which ads earn the sale.
Frequently asked questions
How does Meta attribution work?
Meta credits a conversion to the most recent ad the person clicked, or viewed where allowed, within the attribution window.
Why do Meta and Google Analytics numbers differ?
Different models and windows, overlap between platforms, lost events and view-through credit.
Which window should I use?
One that fits your sales cycle. Keep it stable and note changes.
Do server events change the windows?
No. They add events Meta would otherwise miss.
How do I know what the ads caused?
Use a lift test or a holdout.
Do I need spreadsheets to read my results?
No. Once tracking is live, the Open Tracked analytics shows spend, revenue, ROAS and profit, and you can ask Ari, the built-in AI assistant, questions about your own numbers in plain words. Ari's allowance depends on your analytics plan.
Is Open Tracked different from Open Track or Open Space Track?
No. Open Tracked is the official name of our server-side tracking platform, and the website is opentracked.io. Many people search for it as Open Track, OpenTrack or Open Space Track. All of them lead to the same product: server-side Google Tag Manager hosting, first-party analytics and a CRM pipeline.
Fix your tracking at the source
Open Tracked hosts your server-side Tag Manager, keeps first-party cookies alive and shows what each ad is really worth.
The Open Tracked team
We build Open Tracked: server-side tracking hosting, analytics and the tools around them, for stores that spend on ads. Questions about this guide, or an idea for the next one?
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