What is Attribution?
The process of determining which marketing touchpoints led to a conversion.
Attribution is the analytical process of identifying and crediting the marketing channels, campaigns, and touchpoints that contributed to a user's conversion or desired action. In mobile advertising, attribution helps determine which ads, campaigns, or user acquisition efforts resulted in app installs, purchases, or other valuable user behaviors.
Why It Matters
Attribution is critical for understanding marketing ROI and optimizing advertising spend. Without proper attribution, marketers cannot determine which campaigns are driving real value, leading to inefficient budget allocation. For mobile apps, accurate attribution enables optimization of user acquisition costs, identification of high-value traffic sources, and prevention of attribution fraud.
How to Calculate
Attribution uses various models: First-Touch Attribution credits the first interaction, Last-Touch Attribution credits the final interaction before conversion, and Multi-Touch Attribution distributes credit across multiple touchpoints. Time-decay attribution gives more credit to recent interactions using weighted algorithms.
Industry Benchmarks
| Category | Average | Good Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming Apps | 7-day attribution window | 24-hour precise attribution |
| E-commerce Apps | 30-day attribution window | 7-day precise attribution |
| Subscription Apps | 7-14 day attribution window | 1-day precise attribution |
Best Practices
Implement deterministic attribution where possible for highest accuracy. Use probabilistic attribution as a fallback for users who opt out of tracking. Set appropriate attribution windows based on your app category and user behavior patterns. Regularly audit attribution data for fraud and discrepancies. Integrate with multiple attribution providers for comprehensive coverage.
Examples
A user sees a Facebook ad for a mobile game, clicks it, installs the app, and makes an in-app purchase within 24 hours. Attribution would credit Facebook as the source of both the install and the purchase. For users with longer consideration periods, attribution might track multiple touchpoints like social media ads, search results, and influencer content before the final conversion.
Notes
iOS 14.5+ App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and privacy changes have significantly impacted attribution accuracy. Many attribution providers now rely more heavily on probabilistic modeling and aggregated data. SKAN (StoreKit Ad Network) provides privacy-compliant attribution for iOS campaigns but with limited granularity.