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View-through conversion

A view-through conversion is one Google Ads records when someone sees an ad, doesn't interact with any of the advertiser's ads and converts within a set window.

How it works

People often see Display and video ads without clicking them. Google Ads records a view-through conversion when someone was shown such an ad, didn’t interact with any of your ads, and converted on your site. The view-through conversion window is 1 day by default, up to 30.

For Display ads, the credit goes to the last viewable impression: at least 50% of the ad on screen for at least 1 second. Browsers that block cross-site cookies can’t report view-throughs.

View-throughs stay out of the Conversions column, which bidding generally uses. They appear in View-through conv. and All conv. An engaged-view conversion is different. It follows a video ad watched for a set time, has its own window (3 days by default) and counts in Conversions.

A view-through conversion shows that a purchase came after an impression, not that the impression caused it. A shopper who saw a banner and then bought after an email still counts. So video campaigns and Display campaigns look stronger with view-throughs added. Our guide to view-through and engaged-view conversions covers whether a store should count them.

Where you see it

Google Ads: the View-through conv. column; the View-through conversion window in each conversion action’s settings.

Example

Example store, not client data.

The tableware shop’s Display campaign spends 4,000 in a month. It gets 5 conversions after clicks, worth 3,000, and 20 view-through conversions worth 12,000. Conv. value / cost is 3,000 ÷ 4,000 = 0.75. With view-throughs added, (3,000 + 12,000) ÷ 4,000 = 3.75.

Not to be confused with

  • All conversions — includes view-throughs and secondary actions, so it isn’t a sales count.
  • Attribution model — splits credit among ad clicks. A view-through is recorded only when there was no interaction, so the model doesn’t decide it.

Right and wrong readings

  • Wrong: “With view-throughs, the Display campaign returns 3.75, so it pays.” Right: the 12,000 is from purchases after an impression; that doesn’t show the impression caused them.
  • Wrong: “Our transaction ID also removes duplicate view-through conversions.” Right: Google says it doesn’t.

Sources