Understanding attribution
An introduction guide to First-party vs in-platform attribution and how to interpret these numbers
What is First-party attribution
First-party attributed conversions are conversions based on your first-party data that was tracked in Converge. This is based on tracking parameters that are added to the links of your ads like cvg_source=facebook and our ability to create profiles of your users.
Because users can have multiple sessions before they purchase, the same purchase can be attributed to different channels based on the attribution model that you pick.
In the flowchart below, based on a first-touch model, the purchase should be attributed to Meta. Based on a last-touch model, the purchase should be attributed to Google.
What is in-platform attribution
In-platform conversions are conversions as calculated by the attribution model of the ad platform itself. As an example, when you mark in Meta a “7-day click, 1-day view” model and look at the Facebook Ads Manager, you see all conversions that Facebook believes came from a click on the ad in the last 7 days or a view of the ad in the last day.
This is typically the model that the ad platform will use itself to optimize its ad targeting.
Which attribution method should I choose to make decisions?
You should typically include both numbers in your decision-making, as they both have their own strengths and weaknesses. You can find a summary of both methods below.
| Attribution Model | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| First-party attribution | Great for relative comparisons: First-party metrics allow you to compare all channels based on the same attribution model | May be less accurate: First-party attribution cannot take into account view-through conversions or cannot stitch sessions across devices |
| In-platform attribution | Better accuracy: in-platform metrics are usually more accurate because ad platforms have more data to attribute (they know which users viewed ads). | Hard to compare across traffic sources: Every ad platform employs different attribution models, making it infeasible to compare conversions. Some channels (e.g. Organic) do not have in-platform attribution. |
As a general rule of thumb, First-party attribution is better for relative comparisons across traffic sources and In-Platform-based metrics are better for checking performance within a traffic source (e.g. comparing the number of different Meta campaigns against each other).
Known limitations of First-party attribution in relative comparisons
Although First-party attribution is better for relative comparisons, it comes with some known limitations.
First-party attribution typically underreports top-of-funnel channels (e.g. Meta and TikTok) Because First-party tracking does not work across devices and does not have any information on view-through conversions, it tends to get worse at reporting things top-of-funnel (in sessions early in the customer funnel). The longer an average customer takes to convert the more underreported these channels will be.
First-party attribution typically overreports conversions to search and brand traffic Because First-party tracking might miss earlier sessions until conversion, it will tend to overreport channels that are later in the customer journey such as brand or search traffic.
Was this page helpful?