Attribution
conversion credit assignmentAttribution means the rule by which credit for a conversion is divided among the marketing touches that preceded it. A customer typically sees several ads and searches before buying, and the attribution model decides which of them is recorded as the producer.
Good to know
Attribution explains why reports quarrel: Meta, Google and GA4 each count the same sales with their own model and window, so the totals exceed the real sales. No model is the truth, but one model used consistently makes channels comparable.
The practical solution is one source of truth for decisions, typically GA4 or your own system, while platforms’ own numbers serve their internal optimisation. At larger budgets, experiments rise alongside: geo tests and ad pauses measure true incremental value past the models.
IN PRACTICE
The most common attribution models
Last click
All credit to the final touch. Clear but blind to the top of the path: awareness channels look useless.
Data-driven model
The machine splits credit based on realised paths. GA4’s default and the best choice for most.
Experiments past the models
Geo and pause tests measure what happens when a channel is switched off. The most expensive but most honest way.
PITFALLS
Two attribution mistakes
Platform numbers summed together
Meta and Google each claim the same sale. The sum can exceed real sales by tens of percent.
Awareness channels executed
A last-click model shows video and display as unproductive even though they fill the funnel. Check assisted conversions before cutting.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
Which attribution model should I choose?+
GA4’s data-driven model is the best default for most. More important than the choice is using the same model consistently.
What is an attribution window?+
The time within which a touch can claim credit, for example 30 days from a click. A longer window records more conversions for the same campaign.
Why does GA4 show fewer conversions than Meta?+
GA4 splits credit across channels and uses stricter windows; Meta counts its own touches broadly, views included. The gap is the models, not a measurement error.
How does cookie loss affect attribution?+
Paths break and modelling grows: part of the conversions are estimates. Directions and magnitudes hold; individual numbers deserve less faith.
When is attribution worth more investment?+
When channels are many and the budget large: wrong credit then steers big euros wrong. On a small budget one source of truth and common sense suffice.
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Maintained by the VSCY editorial team · Updated 6 Aug 2026 · Part of the marketing glossary (99 terms)
