What is view-through attribution for CTV?

View-through attribution (VTA) credits a conversion to a CTV ad impression when the viewer later converts on a different device — without clicking the ad. CTV ads are non-clickable on most connected TV devices, which makes click-through attribution impossible. VTA is therefore the primary mechanism for connecting CTV ad exposure to downstream conversions like app installs, website visits, and purchases. The attribution works by linking the CTV device ID that received the impression to the mobile or desktop device that converted, using a household identity graph that connects devices sharing a household IP address.

The VTA window defines how many days after an ad impression a conversion can still be attributed to that impression. Standard windows: 7 days for e-commerce and app install campaigns (install decisions typically happen within a week); 14–30 days for brand awareness and upper-funnel campaigns (brand lift takes time); 3–7 days for retargeting warm audiences who are already in-market. In India, categories with longer purchase consideration cycles — BFSI, insurance, education, consumer durables — may justify extending to 30 days. Longer windows capture more conversions but also increase the risk of attributing organic conversions to CTV.

VTA in India has significant structural limitations. The household IP graph linking CTV device IDs to mobile device IDs is less developed in India than in US markets, with effective match rates of 20–40% of CTV impressions. India's residential IP addresses rotate frequently (Jio, Airtel dynamic broadband IPs), breaking the household linkage between impression time and conversion time. JioHotstar direct inventory is not available for third-party VTA platforms — only inventory accessed via programmatic SSPs is measurable by MMPs like AppsFlyer or Adjust. Treat India CTV VTA numbers as a floor — an undercount of CTV's true contribution — not the complete picture.