Understanding Ad Campaign Attribution
Attribution is the measurement of conversion events or customer behaviors that occur after interacting with an ad. These behaviors help you assess the effectiveness of your campaigns based on your advertising objectives.
Conversion Metrics
Conversions are attributed to the most relevant ad interactions to provide advertisers with a clear view of their campaign performance. The attribution metrics are recorded based on the date of the ad interaction, which may differ from the actual date of conversion
Key Attribution Metrics
Revenue: The total value of attributed orders generated from ad-attributed clicks or views within a 7-day, or 14-day 30-day window depending on the ad type. Revenue is used to calculate return on ad spend (ROAS). Keep in mind that attributed revenue amounts won’t necessarily match your retail revenue due to factors like discounts and returns
New-to-Brand Revenue: The total revenue attributed to ads from new-to-brand customers within the 365-day window
How Attribution Works
1. Lookback Window
The lookback window defines the maximum number of days after an ad interaction when a conversion is still attributed to that ad. For example, if a shopper clicks on an ad on February 1st and makes a purchase on February 7th, the purchase is attributed to that ad if the lookback window is 7 days.
2. Attribution Model by Ad Type
Ad Type | Lookback Window | Eligible Interactions | Attribution Model |
Product Ads | 7 days | Clicks only | Last Click |
Brand Ads | 14 days | Clicks only | Last Click |
Display Ads | 7 days (Views)/ 30 days (Clicks) | Clicks & Views | Last Touch Prioritizing Clicks |
3. Product-Level Attribution
Revenue is attributed based on direct attribution and indirect attribution
Attribution Type | Definition | Example |
Direct Attribution | A customer engages with an ad through an eligible interaction and purchases the advertised product within the lookback window. | A customer clicks on a Product under ad for a wireless mouse and purchases that exact wireless mouse within 7 days. |
Indirect Attribution | A customer engages with an ad through an eligible interaction but purchases an unadvertised product* within the lookback window. | A customer clicks on a Brand Ads ad for a wireless mouse but ends up purchasing a wired keyboard or any other similar product within 14 days from the same brand, within the same category, and sold by the same partner. |
Note: The unadvertised product purchased should be sold by the same seller and should belong to the same primary category and brand as the advertised product in the ad which the customer originally engaged with through an eligible interaction.
How Ads Compete for Attribution
When a customer engages with multiple ads through eligible interactions before making a purchase within the defined lookback window, ads compete for attribution. Revenue is attributed to one ad according to a last-touch attribution model, meaning revenue is typically attributed to the last ad that was clicked before making a purchase.
Attribution priority ranking:
Clicks (Direct attribution)
Clicks (Indirect attribution)
Views (Direct Attribution)
Views (Indirect Attribution)
Note: Only Display Ads are eligible for view-based attribution.
Example:
A customer is shopping for headphones and interacts with multiple ads before making a purchase:
Day 1: Clicks on a Product Ads ad for Brand X Wireless Headphones but does not purchase
Day 3: Clicks on a Brand Ads ad for Brand X Headphones but still does not purchase
Day 5: Views a Display Ads ad for Brand X Headphones but does not click on it
Day 6: Purchases Brand X Wireless Headphones from the product detail page
How Attribution is Assigned
Since multiple ads were interacted with before the purchase, attribution follows the last-touch attribution model:
Clicks on the advertised product: Day 3 (Brand Ads Click) receives attribution as the last meaningful interaction
Indirect clicks: Day 1 (Product Ads Click) is considered but is not the last interaction
Views (Display Ads): Day 5 (Display Ads View) carries the weakest attribution weight
Final Attribution:
Brand Ads (Day 3 Click): Wins Attribution as the last meaningful interaction
Product Ads (Day 1 Click): Not considered since a later interaction occurred
Display Ads (Day 5 View): Lower priority since clicks take precedence over views
Attribution Mismatches and Considerations
Discrepancies may occur when comparing attributed sales to overall retail sales. Common reasons include:
Delayed Data Updates: It takes an hour for revenue data to update
Exclusion of Discounts: Attributed revenue reflects the full product price, not the final discounted price
Tax Exclusion: Revenue figures do not include VAT or other taxes
Cross-Product Attribution: Revenue may be attributed to non-advertised products through indirect attribution
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