What is an attribution window in a referral program?

What is an attribution window?

An attribution window is the period during which a referral can still earn its referrer credit. If the introduced company takes the qualifying step inside that period, the referrer is credited; if it takes the step after the period ends, the referrer normally is not.

In consumer marketing the window is often a browser cookie that lasts a set number of days. In a business referral program it is a contract term, and it can be longer, shorter or tied to a specific event. SourceX's window is set by the published program terms and the partner agreement, so this page explains the concept and does not state a number.

How does it work in a SourceX referral?

Credit goes to the first valid referrer whose introduction leads to a verified company application within the attribution window. Three parts of that sentence carry the weight.

1. First valid referrer: if two partners introduce the same company, the earlier valid introduction is the one that counts.
2. Verified company application: the company must actually apply, and SourceX must verify that the application is real, not just that someone mentioned the company.
3. Within the window: the timing is measured against the period in the terms.

A partner can introduce a company by referral link, which sends the company to the application page with the partner's code attached, or by the referral form. Either way, keep your own dated record of the introduction. A signed agreement or a meeting alone does not decide credit; and a reward is paid only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee.

Illustrative example

Illustrative and fictional. A fractional CFO mentions the program to the owner of a logistics software firm in March and sends the referral link after the owner agrees. The owner takes the link, but gets busy and applies weeks later. Because the application arrives through the link and is verified, the partner's code is attached to it. If a second advisor mentions the program to the same owner afterwards, the earlier valid introduction is the one the rule points to. Whether a given gap is inside the window is answered by the terms, not by the example.

Attribution window vs similar terms

On the last row: rewards are capped at $100,000 cumulative per referred company. That is an amount limit, not a time limit.

Why does the window matter to a partner?

It decides whether your effort is credited, so it is worth knowing before you make an introduction rather than after a dispute. The practical lessons are short.

• Introduce with the owner's permission and keep the date and message. The introduction email builder helps you prepare an owner-approved message.
• Prefer a record that is easy to prove, such as the referral link or the form, over a spoken mention.
• Do not hold an introduction back to pile up several companies. Delay can cost you credit if someone else introduces first.
• Ask the owner to tell you when the application goes in, so you can check it appears in your records.

The partner portal explainer describes what you can normally track, and the audit and reporting rights guide covers asking for evidence when a record looks wrong.

What is not decided by the window

The window concerns credit, not the deal itself. It does not make a company eligible: the baseline is a US company with 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), several years of documented operations, rights to license the data, and an authorized sponsor. The employee count guide shows how to check headcount from public signals. It also does not decide payment timing. Rewards are 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects, capped at $100,000 cumulative per referred company, and they become payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee. No reward is guaranteed.

Reversal of a paid reward is a separate contract topic, covered in referral fee clawbacks. Exclusivity across programs is another, covered in exclusive vs non-exclusive agreements.

Related terms

For the wider picture, see what a referral program is and how SourceX referrals work.

Next step

Read the attribution wording in the program terms, then register as a partner so your introductions are recorded from the start.