A cookie window, also called a cookie duration, is the length of time after a user clicks an affiliate link during which a subsequent purchase can still be attributed to that publisher. Common windows range from 24 hours to 30 days or more, and are set by the advertiser or network as part of the program terms.
An advertiser sets a 14-day cookie window. A user clicks a publisher's link on 1 July but doesn't buy until 10 July – still within the window – so the sale is correctly attributed and commissioned to that publisher.
Most programs use last-click attribution by default, meaning whichever publisher's link the customer clicked most recently before purchase gets the commission. The earlier click is overwritten. Some advertisers use different rules – check program terms rather than assuming last-click applies everywhere.
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