{"id":80852,"date":"2024-07-19T19:54:48","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T19:54:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glossary\/attribution-models\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T10:50:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T10:50:33","slug":"attribution-models","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/attribution-models\/","title":{"rendered":"Attribution models"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An attribution model is the rule that decides how much of the credit for a conversion goes to each channel the customer passed through.<\/strong> It helps you find out which marketing actions really help you sell.<\/p>\n\n

Before buying, a person may see an ad, read a blog post, receive a newsletter and come back through Google. The attribution model splits the value of that sale among those touchpoints.<\/p>\n\n

What is attribution for?<\/h2>\n\n

Without an attribution model, each channel seems responsible for everything or for nothing. With one, you can:<\/p>\n\n

Invest better.<\/strong> Find out which channels generate sales and which only bring in visits.<\/p>\n\n

Understand the customer journey.<\/strong> See how many touchpoints the customer needs and in what order.<\/p>\n\n

Avoid undervaluing channels.<\/strong> Some channels rarely close the sale, but they set it up. If you only look at the last click, they seem useless.<\/p>\n\n

It is part of analyzing the customer journey<\/a> and a basis for calculating the ROI<\/a> of each action.<\/p>\n\n

Types of attribution models<\/h2>\n\n

Imagine a \u20ac100 sale. It went through an ad, the newsletter and a Google search, in that order. This is how each attribution model would split it:<\/p>\n\n

Model<\/th>How it splits the credit<\/th>Ad<\/th>Newsletter<\/th>Search<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Last click<\/td>All to the last touchpoint<\/td>\u20ac0<\/td>\u20ac0<\/td>\u20ac100<\/td><\/tr>
First click<\/td>All to the first touchpoint<\/td>\u20ac100<\/td>\u20ac0<\/td>\u20ac0<\/td><\/tr>
Linear<\/td>In equal parts<\/td>\u20ac33<\/td>\u20ac33<\/td>\u20ac33<\/td><\/tr>
Time decay<\/td>More weight to the most recent ones<\/td>\u20ac15<\/td>\u20ac30<\/td>\u20ac55<\/td><\/tr>
Position-based<\/td>40% to the first, 40% to the last and the rest to the ones in the middle<\/td>\u20ac40<\/td>\u20ac20<\/td>\u20ac40<\/td><\/tr>
Data-driven<\/td>Based on learning from actual conversions<\/td>Variable<\/td>Variable<\/td>Variable<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

Rule-based models (the first five) are easy to understand, but none of them is \u201cthe right one\u201d. Each one tells the story from a different point of view.<\/p>\n\n

The data-driven model<\/strong> (data-driven attribution<\/em>) uses your account’s conversion history to estimate how much each touchpoint contributes. It is the most accurate attribution model when there is enough data.<\/p>\n\n

\"Infographic<\/figure>\n\n

Which models remain in GA4 and Google Ads?<\/h2>\n\n

Google simplified attribution in 2023. It removed the first-click, linear, time-decay and position-based models from Google Ads and Google Analytics 4.<\/p>\n\n

Today, in those tools, you can choose between two attribution models:<\/p>\n\n

Data-driven.<\/strong> The default model.<\/p>\n\n

Last click.<\/strong> All the credit goes to the last channel that was clicked.<\/p>\n\n

The other attribution models are still useful as a way of thinking. You can apply them in other tools or in a spreadsheet, but no longer in Google’s.<\/p>\n\n

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Do you know how much your emails sell?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add UTM parameters to your campaigns with Mailrelay and find out which sales start in your newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

How to choose an attribution model<\/h2>\n\n

If your sales are quick and impulsive,<\/strong> last click is usually enough: there are few touchpoints before the purchase.<\/p>\n\n

If the sales cycle is long,<\/strong> as in B2B<\/a>, the data-driven model better reflects the channels that accompany the decision.<\/p>\n\n

If you have few conversions,<\/strong> the data-driven model has less information to learn from. Always compare it with last click.<\/p>\n\n

Whatever the attribution model,<\/strong> keep it stable for a while. If you change it every month, you won’t be able to compare.<\/p>\n\n

Attribution and email marketing<\/h2>\n\n

Email is usually in the middle of the journey: it reminds, informs and prompts people to come back. That’s why last click often undervalues it. The customer opens the newsletter, gets interested, and days later buys after arriving from Google.<\/p>\n\n

To measure it properly:<\/p>\n\n

Tag all links with UTM<\/a> parameters.<\/strong> For example, \u201cutm_source=newsletter\u201d, \u201cutm_medium=email\u201d and \u201cutm_campaign=\u201d with the name of the mailing. That way your analytics knows the visit comes from email.<\/p>\n\n

Look at assisted conversions.<\/strong> In GA4, the conversion path reports show which journeys include email even when it isn’t the last step.<\/p>\n\n

Compare periods with and without mailings.<\/strong> If sales go up on newsletter days, email is contributing.<\/p>\n\n

\"Infographic<\/figure>\n\n

Common mistakes<\/h2>\n\n

Relying only on last click.<\/strong> It penalizes the channels that set up the sale, such as email or content.<\/p>\n\n

Not tagging links.<\/strong> Without UTM parameters, many email visits show up as direct.<\/p>\n\n

Comparing different attribution models.<\/strong> A channel can look worse just because you switched models.<\/p>\n\n

Forgetting what isn’t measured.<\/strong> Referrals, phone calls or visits to the physical store also have an influence.<\/p>\n\n

How Mailrelay helps you<\/h2>\n\n

With Mailrelay you can add UTM parameters to the links in your campaigns, see which links get the most clicks and cross-reference that data with your analytics tool. That way you know how much of your sales start with or pass through your emails.<\/p>\n\n

The free account includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, with human support by chat, ticket and phone.<\/p>\n\n

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Send your newsletters with Mailrelay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts for free, with human support on every plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n

These are the most common questions about attribution.<\/p>\n\n

What is an attribution model in a nutshell?<\/h3>\n\n

A rule for sharing the credit for a sale among the channels the customer passed through.<\/p>\n\n

What is the best attribution model?<\/h3>\n\n

It depends on your business. In GA4 and Google Ads, data-driven is the recommended one if you have enough conversions; last click is simpler to understand.<\/p>\n\n

Why does the linear model no longer appear in Google Analytics?<\/h3>\n\n

Google removed it in 2023, along with the first-click, time-decay and position-based models.<\/p>\n\n

What is last-click attribution?<\/h3>\n\n

The model that gives all the credit for the conversion to the last channel the customer clicked before buying.<\/p>\n\n

How do I know if my emails generate sales?<\/h3>\n\n

Tag your links with UTM parameters and check the direct and assisted conversions of the \u201cemail\u201d medium in your analytics.<\/p>\n\n

Related terms<\/h2>\n\n