What's Apple Search Ads' Default Attribution Window in 2026?

Apple Search Ads' default attribution window in 2026 is 30 days for click-to-install (tap-through) conversions and 1 day for view-to-install (impression) conversions. That default applies to standard, non-Pre-Order campaigns and comes directly from Apple's own Ads Help documentation on app ad attribution.

Why This Window Is Different From SKAdNetwork

Apple Search Ads' 30-day window is notably longer than the measurement window third-party ad networks work under via SKAdNetwork, which historically ran on a much shorter, rolling window before Apple's newer SKAN 4 framework introduced staged windows of 0-2 days, 3-7 days, and 8-35 days for postback timing. Apple Search Ads doesn't need to route through SKAdNetwork's privacy-preserving postback system for its own attribution, because Apple already has first-party access to both the ad interaction and the resulting App Store install on-device — the same structural advantage that lets Meta or Google skip third-party cookies for their own owned-and-operated attribution.

Apple Ads Has Now Registered With AdAttributionKit Too

On April 10, 2025, Apple Ads registered with AdAttributionKit (built on the SKAdNetwork foundation, versions 1-3), giving app developers a way to see Apple Search Ads sitting alongside other ad networks in the same attribution reporting pipeline. This doesn't replace Apple's own 30-day/1-day window for its first-party reporting — it's an additional, standardized layer that helps developers compare Apple Search Ads' contribution against Meta, Google, and other UA channels using a common measurement framework, since SKAN-based reporting from those other networks uses a much shorter, hours-based measurement window by comparison.

A Change Worth Watching Starting September 2026

Apple began rolling out two changes to Apple Ads (AdServices) attribution starting September 1, 2026: attribution responses now include a touchpoint timestamp in addition to existing fields, and install claims are evaluated against your app's configured lookback window rather than always defaulting to the full 30-day maximum. Developers running a shorter custom lookback window as part of their measurement partner setup (Adjust, AppsFlyer, Singular, and similar) may see attributed installs from Apple Ads dip slightly after this change — not because performance changed, but because the attribution logic is now stricter about which installs actually fall inside the configured window.

Bottom Line

Don't assume Apple Search Ads and your other UA channels are being measured on the same clock: confirm your mobile measurement partner's lookback window matches (or is deliberately shorter than) Apple's 30-day default before comparing Apple Search Ads performance against SKAN-reported networks side by side.

Sources: Apple Ads Help, "App ad attribution overview"; Singular, "Apple Ads (formerly Apple Search Ads) Attribution Integration"; AppsFlyer, "Apple Search Ads finally joins the SKAN party."