View-Through Attribution (VTA)

View-through attribution (VTA) credits a conversion to an ad that a user saw but did not click, provided the conversion happens within a defined view-through attribution window. It is the counterpart to click-through attribution, which only counts conversions that follow an actual click.

How it works#

When an ad is served, the platform logs a viewable ad impression against the user. If that same user later converts within the view window, often 1 day, without clicking any ad, the system attributes the conversion to the impression they were exposed to. VTA relies on identifying the user across the impression and the later conversion, typically via cookies, device IDs, or platform login data.

Why it matters#

VTA is meant to capture the awareness and influence of ads that don't earn a direct click, which matters for upper-funnel and display campaigns where exposure shapes later behavior. But it is also the most disputed form of measurement: a generous view window can credit ads for conversions that would have happened anyway, overstating ROAS. Savvy buyers treat view-through numbers separately from click-through numbers, scrutinize window lengths, and use incrementality tests to confirm that viewed-not-clicked ads truly drove the result rather than just appearing nearby.

Related terms: Attribution Window, Conversion, and Ad Impression.