Use conversion windows as a tool to enhance and monitor the effectiveness of your app campaigns. Conversion reports show you whether your campaign is running efficiently and let you measure cost per conversion, whether the conversion is an event or an install.
Conversion window configuration
Standard default conversion windows are set with an understanding that conversions such as app opens or registrations typically happen more quickly after an ad is viewed, whereas conversions such as purchases or reaching new levels in a game might take more time.
Window configuration gives you control over conversion measurement and takes into account that the time it may take your user to complete a conversion action may vary based on your business’s buying cycle as well as seasonality and length of promotions you set. For example, if your app helps your business sell cars, time to purchase may take longer than if your app helps your business sell mobile games, and if you’re running a 2 weeks long holiday promotion, you may set a different window than other times of year. Learn more About Engaged-view conversions, Click-through conversions, and View-through conversions.
Window timespan considerations
By conversion time
Set conversion windows that account for the typical time it takes for someone to convert on specific actions that you’re targeting.
If you set a longer window, you’ll get more conversions, but will have a greater probability of capturing organic conversions that might be less incremental, which can affect the accuracy of your conversion tracking.
Shorter windows capture less conversions overall and as a result, reduces the chances of capturing organic conversions, but might not capture all of the incremental conversions.
By campaign edits
Maximize your conversion windows depending on how often you're planning to make edits to your campaign. For campaigns that you'll frequently edit, use shorter conversion windows. For campaigns that you'll edit less frequently, use longer conversion windows. This ensures that data will be captured more accurately.
Tools that can guide window selections
Days to conversions
You can use the “Days to conversions” feature in Google Ads to find how long it takes for actions to convert in your different ad groups and to guide your conversion window selections.
Instructions
- In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon
.
- Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
- Click Ad groups.
- From the workspace filter, select App campaigns.
- In the top right menu, click the Segment icon
.
- Select Days to Conversions.
The rows indicate the times it takes for actions to convert for those ad groups. You can use this information to update your conversion windows.
Conversion lag reporting
Conversion lag is the delay between when people interact with an ad and when they perform a specific conversion action. Use conversion lag reporting in Google Ads to find conversion delay information on key metrics, including cost per acquisition (CPA) and return on ad spend (ROAS). Learn more About conversion lag reporting.
