Define the Estimand and Windows

Write the estimand before configuring GeoSC:

Average difference, in outcome units per observed period, between treated outcomes and their SparseSC counterfactual over the declared measurement window for the declared treated geographies.

GeoSC labels this att_unscaled. The top-level att is the average across the post-period effect path. If several geographies are treated, the SparseSC procedure forms a joint treated effect; do not describe the result as a unit-specific effect unless a separate analysis supports that claim.

Set:

• intervention_date_str: first observed treatment period;
• cooldown_periods: observed periods after launch excluded from measurement;
• optional measurement_start_date_str: explicit start that must agree with the cooldown calculation;
• min_pre_treatment_periods and min_post_treatment_periods: admissibility thresholds where supplied.

Cooldown periods are neither pre-period fit data nor measured post-period data. They count observations, not calendar units. A seven-period cooldown is seven days only for a complete daily panel.

Pre-specify the end of measurement by trimming the input panel to the intended window. The shipped inference config has no active end_date key.