Attribution Model
The specific rule assigning credit for a conversion across the touchpoints that preceded it.
The models and what each assumes
| Model | Credit goes to | Assumes |
|---|---|---|
| First touch | The first interaction | Discovery is what matters |
| Last touch | The final interaction | Conversion is what matters |
| Linear | Split evenly | All touches are equal |
| Time decay | Weighted toward recent | Influence fades |
| U-shaped | First and last weighted | Discovery and close matter, middle less |
| Data-driven | Fitted from observed paths | Enough volume and clean tracking |
Source: Standard taxonomy
The rule outweighs the data
Choosing and holding one
Pick from the decision. Budget allocation, channel exit and creative optimisation are different questions and may warrant different models.
Document all four settings: lookback window, eligible touchpoints, credit rule, conversion definition.
Hold it constant. Movement under a fixed rule means something; movement across rules means nothing.
Where the decision is material, run a holdout test instead. The gap between attributed credit and measured effect calibrates how far to trust the model everywhere else.
RELATED TERMS
Attribution
The methodology connecting marketing touchpoints to revenue outcomes, so investment can be allocated on evidence rather than on preference.
Dark Funnel
The buying activity that happens where analytics cannot observe it — private communities, peer conversations, group chats, word of mouth.
Marketing ROI
The return produced by marketing investment, expressed against the revenue it can be credibly connected to.
Marketing Sourced Pipeline
Pipeline where marketing originated the first meaningful contact with the account, according to a documented rule.
COMMON QUESTIONS
- What are the common attribution models?
- First touch, last touch, linear, time decay, U-shaped and position-based, plus data-driven models fitted from observed paths. Each distributes the same conversions differently.
- Which attribution model is best?
- The question is under-specified without the decision it supports. Every model encodes assumptions about how influence works, and none is discoverable from the data — which is why the rule must be documented and held constant.
- Why do our attribution numbers change without campaign changes?
- Usually the lookback window, which touchpoints are eligible, the credit rule, or the conversion definition moved. Undocumented model settings are the most common cause.
- Does attribution measure causation?
- No. It distributes credit for conversions that happened. Whether a channel caused conversions requires a holdout test, which is a different exercise entirely.
FURTHER READING
Learn how to apply this: RevOps 101: Revenue Operations Foundations
Definitions are the vocabulary. The courses are where you learn to operate it, with the interactive audit tools.
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