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The timeframe between a visitor clicking your affiliate link and completing a purchase, during which the network will credit you the commission. Varies by program, from 24 hours (Amazon) to 30+ days (most other networks).
When a visitor clicks your affiliate link, the network sets a cookie in their browser. If they buy something within the cookie window, you get credit. After the window expires, the cookie is no longer honored — any subsequent purchase goes uncredited unless the visitor clicks your link again.
Window length varies enormously. Amazon Associates gives 24 hours (extended to 90 days only if the visitor adds the item to cart). Awin defaults to 30 days. ShareASale ranges 30-90 days depending on merchant. Direct SaaS programs sometimes give recurring lifetime attribution. The window length determines which content formats work for which programs — high-consideration products on a 24-hour window are structurally underpaid.
See also
Related terms
Affiliate link
A URL that contains a tracking parameter identifying you as the referrer, so the merchant can credit you a commission when the click converts to a sale.
GlossaryLast-click attribution
The model affiliate networks use to credit commissions: whoever was the last affiliate to send a visitor before they purchased gets the commission, regardless of who introduced them to the product.
GlossaryAffiliate tag
The unique identifier inside an affiliate URL that tells the network which publisher to credit. Different networks call it different names but the function is the same.