What is View-Through Attribution?

View-Through Attribution (VTA) gives credit to an ad even if the user didn’t click on it, as long as they saw the ad and later took a desired action, like installing or opening the app.

For example, a user sees a TikTok ad but doesn’t click. A day later, they go to the App Store, search for your app, and install it. If VTA is enabled and within the attribution window, the ad may still get credit for influencing the install.

How does it work?

VTA works by logging ad impressions and matching them to future user actions — typically installs or re-engagements.

Key characteristics:

• No click required
  

• A view-through window defines how long after the impression a conversion can be attributed (often 24 hours)
  
  

• Attribution is usually of lower priority than click-based (click always overrides view)
  
  

• SKAN doesn’t fully support impression-based attribution, so VTA is more common in MMP setups or web-based tracking
  
  

It’s more common in platforms with strong visual formats — like display ads, TikTok, or CTV — where users often don’t click immediately but take action later.

Why it matters

VTA helps measure the true impact of awareness campaigns.

It allows you to:

• Capture conversions influenced by upper-funnel activity
  

• Understand the value of non-click actions (like video views or impressions)
  
  

• Attribute installs more fairly in channels where clicks are rare but exposure is high
  
  

But it also has risks — over-attribution or falsely inflating credit, especially in complex multi-channel setups.

Used carefully, VTA helps fill in the gaps between seeing and doing, especially in mobile environments where intent often builds gradually.