TikTok splits attribution into two categories. You need to treat them differently.
TikTok is not Google. People do not search for "buy running shoes" and click an ad. TikTok is discovery. A user sees your shirt on Monday, thinks about it Tuesday, Googles you Wednesday, and buys Thursday. tiktok attribution window
Use this for brand storytelling. High-quality scrollers who watch 6+ seconds are often highly qualified, even if they don't click immediately. Measurement Gaps and Best Practices TikTok splits attribution into two categories
As privacy landscapes evolve, the reliance on platform-reported attribution windows will increase. Advertisers must move away from "last-click" mentalities and embrace probabilistic measurement to succeed in the short-form video economy. People do not search for "buy running shoes" and click an ad
TikTok is not a platform of intent; it is a platform of discovery. Users do not log in to search for products; they log in to be entertained. When an ad appears, it interrupts the user's content feed. This dynamic creates a distinct user journey: a user may see an ad, be intrigued, but continue scrolling. Hours or even days later, they may recall the product, open a web browser or the app store, and convert.