An introduction guide to First-party vs in-platform attribution and how to interpret these numbers
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.
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. |