Every metric in OpenAI Ads Manager, how click and view conversions are counted, the 7, 14 and 30 day windows, reporting lag and how to export daily data.
On this page
The short version
Ads Manager gives you seven core metrics at campaign, ad group and ad level, one Conversions total that can include view through conversions, and CSV exports with daily values. Know the lags before you judge a day's numbers.
The metrics
| Metric | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Impressions | Times your ads were shown |
| Clicks | Times people clicked your ads |
| Spend | Total spent delivering ads |
| CTR | Share of impressions that became clicks |
| Avg CPC | Average cost per click |
| Avg CPM | Average cost per 1,000 impressions |
| Conversions | Conversion events attributed to your campaigns, once measurement is set up |
Two ecommerce columns exist as well. Order Created Sales and Order Created ROAS are calculated only from attributed order_created events. Other events do not feed them.
How the Conversions total is built
The total includes click through conversions and, if you have the 1 day view through window on, eligible view through conversions. You can see the split by hovering over the Conversions column, or add View-through conversions as its own column.
A view through conversion is counted when someone converts within one day of seeing an eligible impression and no qualifying click takes the credit. If both qualify, the click wins.
To see individual events, open the three dot menu, choose Edit columns and select the events you want.
Attribution windows
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Click through window | 7, 14 or 30 days |
| View through window | 1 day, or 0 day which disables it |
These are reporting choices. OpenAI is explicit that they do not change optimisation, bidding or billing. For a UAE service business with a long sales cycle, 30 day click and view through off gives the most conservative read.
Event time or conversion time
By default, Conversions are reported on ad event time, the moment of the click or impression that earned the credit. To report on when the conversion happened, select Conversions (by conv. time) in Edit columns. Use conversion time when reconciling against a CRM, because your CRM records when the lead arrived, not when the ad was clicked.
The lags that catch people out
- Impressions, clicks and CTR can appear within minutes.
- Spend can lag. A zero does not mean nothing has been charged.
- Reporting can trail delivery by up to 7 hours.
- Conversions need 24 to 48 hours.
- OpenAI advises allowing at least 24 hours after launch before treating zero impressions as a problem.
Breakdowns and exports
The Segment menu breaks results down by device, country and platform. Exports come in three forms: the current table view, selected rows as cumulative values, and daily values. Daily values are what you want for a weekly reconciliation against your own records.
Product reporting
For feed campaigns, the Products tab only lists products that have delivery data. It is not an inventory of your feed.
A weekly routine that works
- Export daily values every Monday.
- Match conversions by conversion time against CRM leads with a ChatGPT paid UTM.
- Record qualified leads and sales from the CRM, not the platform.
- Compare cost per qualified lead with Google and Meta for the same week.
- Change one thing, write down why, and check it the following Monday.
Quick answers
How long do conversions take to show?
OpenAI says to allow 24 to 48 hours for attributed conversions to appear, and that totals may change as recent events are processed.
What attribution windows can I choose?
A 7, 14 or 30 day click through window, and either a 1 day view through window or view through switched off.
Does changing the window change bidding?
No. OpenAI states that changing the reporting window affects reporting only, not optimisation, bidding or billing.
Is it multi touch attribution?
No. OpenAI says the feature uses its existing last touch attribution logic. If both an impression and a click qualify, the click gets the credit.
Related
Conversion tracking
How OpenAI measures conversions, what the oppref click reference is, why Pixel plus Conversions API beats either alone, and how to handle WhatsApp and phone sales in the UAE.
ChatGPT ads cost in AED
OpenAI publishes no rate card. Here is what it does publish: billing by objective, a suggested starting CPC bid, the AED 65 daily minimum and how daily budgets really pace.
Measurement
OpenAI Pixel, Conversions API, oppref handling and CRM reconciliation for UAE businesses, including sales that close on WhatsApp and the phone.