Attribution — Attribution

A person could have seen ads in several places. The attribution model decides who gets credit for the result: the last click, the first, or a split among all. In affiliate marketing the last click is the most common.

An important parameter is the attribution window: how many days after the click the conversion still counts for the source. The advertiser sets it in the offer terms.

Example

For example, the attribution window is 30 days. A shopper clicks a gift on March 1 and starts a subscription on March 12, so the conversion counts. If they start it on April 5, it no longer does.

How to calculate it / how it works

Three questions. Which click counts: the first, the last, or a split among all? How many days after the click does the action still count (the window)? And how do you link the action to the click (the ID)?

For example, the window is 30 days. Step 1: the shopper clicks a gift on March 1. Step 2: they start a subscription on March 12, which is 11 days later, inside the window, so the conversion counts. Step 3: had they started it on April 5, that would be 35 days, the window is closed and there is no conversion. If several sources were involved, last click gives all the credit to the last one and first click gives it to the first.

Where it shows up in ThanklyClub and common mistakes

In ThanklyClub, the sub ID links a conversion to a click: it goes into the link, and the partner sends it back by postback.

• Setting too short a window. A subscription started in the evening or on a weekend is no longer counted.
• Not knowing which model applies. For affiliate programs it is most often the last click.
• Not saving sub at sign-up, which is why the postback cannot find the click.
• Comparing offers with different windows as if the window were the same.

FAQ