Tracking & DataAttribution
What is Attribution? Attribution Models and Windows
Also known as: attribution model, attribution window
Short answer
Attribution is how you decide which ad gets credit for a sale when someone saw several ads before buying. Only one sale happened, so an attribution rule decides who is credited.
The simple way to think about it
A buyer sees your video ad on Monday, clicks an image ad on Wednesday, and buys on Thursday. There is one sale. Who earns the credit?
Attribution is the rule that answers that. The rules differ by platform, which is why the numbers differ by platform.
The common models
| Model | Its rule | Its weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Last click | All credit to the last clicked ad | Ignores the ads that built interest |
| First click | All credit to the first ad | Ignores the ad that closed |
| Linear | Split evenly across all touches | Treats trivial and decisive touches alike |
| Data-driven | Split by patterns the system learned | Cannot be checked by hand |
What to do about it
- Pick one model per platform and stop changing it often.
- Record the attribution window you use, so month-on-month comparisons are fair.
- Never sum conversions across platforms.
- Check against MER every month.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an attribution window?
- An attribution window is the time allowed between seeing or clicking an ad and the conversion, for that conversion to still count. For example, 7 days after a click. Conversions outside the window are not credited to that ad.
- Why do platform conversion counts add up to more than my sales?
- Because each platform uses its own window and model, and each claims the same sale. Never sum conversions across platforms. Use MER as a sanity check.
- Which attribution model is correct?
- None is fully correct. A model is only a rule for splitting credit. What matters is choosing one, using it consistently, and checking it against a number that does not depend on attribution, such as MER.
Related terms
Konektor guides
Your ad numbers are only as accurate as the data behind them
Konektor captures the Click ID and sends conversions that close on WhatsApp, over the phone, or in a shop back to the ad platform.