Introduction
Amazon’s advertising platform is powerful — but it comes with limitations most sellers don’t realize.
One of the biggest?
🕒 24-hour attribution.
If a shopper clicks your ad and buys 25 hours later, you get no credit for that sale.
This can drastically skew:
- Conversion rate data
- ACoS and ROAS calculations
- Campaign decisions
- Budget allocations
In this post, we’ll unpack what 24-hour attribution really means — and what you can do about it.
What Is Amazon’s 24-Hour Attribution Model?
Attribution is how Amazon tracks and assigns credit for sales back to an ad click.
Their default model only credits you if:
📌 The customer clicks your ad
📌 Then makes a purchase within 24 hours
This is different from other platforms like Facebook (7-day click) or Google (up to 30 days).
So even if your ad influenced the buyer’s decision — if they wait too long to purchase, you lose credit.
How This Impacts Your Performance Metrics
1. Conversion Rate May Look Worse Than It Is
If shoppers are window-shopping, price comparing, or coming back later — your actual conversions may be underreported.
Amazon will show:
- More clicks
- Fewer conversions
- Lower CTR
- Higher ACoS
Even if you’re generating real sales.
2. ACoS and ROAS Are Inflated
When sales fall outside the attribution window, your campaign may appear less profitable than it really is.
Let’s say:
- 100 clicks = $50 ad spend
- 2 tracked conversions = $30 in revenue
🧮 That’s a 167% ACoS.
But if 3 more sales happened 2 days later, you’re actually profitable — Amazon just doesn’t show it.
3. Good Campaigns Look Like Bad Ones
Many high-consideration products have longer buying cycles:
- Electronics
- Supplements
- Home goods
- High-ticket items
If your ads spark interest but shoppers come back days later (via search or direct), you’ll lose attribution — and potentially pause the campaign thinking it doesn’t work.
4. Retargeting Isn’t Fully Supported
Unlike other platforms with multi-day or view-through attribution, Amazon limits your visibility into what happens after 24 hours.
This means:
- Fewer insights into top-of-funnel effectiveness
- Less clarity on how Sponsored Display or DSP performs over time
Workarounds and Best Practices
✅ 1. Use Brand Analytics + Business Reports
Compare:
- Sales from ads (attributed)
- Total sales for the product (from Business Reports)
This gives you a broader sense of what your ad exposure is contributing to — even if Amazon doesn’t count it directly.
✅ 2. Track Sessions vs Orders
Go to Business Reports and pull:
- Sessions
- Units Ordered
If sessions spike after a campaign but attributed sales don’t — it’s likely your ad drove delayed conversions.
✅ 3. Lower Your Bids, Extend the Funnel
If you know your product has a longer decision cycle:
- Reduce bids to avoid overspending
- Consider broader campaigns to build awareness
- Use Sponsored Brand Video or lifestyle imagery to educate early
✅ 4. Use External Retargeting (if possible)
You can supplement Amazon’s short window with:
- Pixel-tracked landing pages
- DSP retargeting
- Influencer campaigns or email flows
These can nurture leads that Amazon won’t show in their attribution.
✅ 5. Focus on Long-Term Organic Growth
Even if Amazon doesn’t attribute sales, your efforts help boost:
- Ranking
- Keyword relevance
- Organic conversions
Your ad still does the job — it just doesn’t get full credit for it.
When Does 24-Hour Attribution Hurt the Most?
🛑 Products with longer purchase consideration
🛑 High-ticket or premium-priced items
🛑 Highly competitive categories
🛑 Launches without reviews (slower buying decisions)
Is There a Better Attribution Option?
Currently, only Amazon DSP and a few external tools allow longer attribution windows.
DSP supports:
- 14-day click
- 30-day view-through
But for Sponsored Products/Sponsored Brands — you’re stuck with the 24-hour rule.
Summary
🧠 Amazon’s 24-hour attribution model creates a blind spot for many sellers.
It affects how:
- You read campaign performance
- You optimize ad spend
- You make budgeting decisions
Understanding it — and adjusting your expectations — is key to long-term success.
Final Thought
Don’t let Amazon’s limited attribution cause you to kill great campaigns or misread buyer behavior.
Track across tools. Look beyond the 24 hours. And play the long game.
Need Help Navigating Amazon Ads?
At Marketplace Valet, we help brands:
✅ Launch smarter
✅ Optimize campaigns with real data
✅ Avoid common attribution traps
Let’s talk → justin@marketplacevalet.com
Or visit: https://marketplacevalet.com
