Attribution
A way to assign credit—not a complete explanation of cause.
Attribution applies a set of rules to associate recorded outcomes with earlier interactions. The result depends on the data available and the model chosen.
What attribution can tell you.
A model can help describe which recorded touchpoints were associated with an inquiry, opportunity, or purchase. It can make comparisons more consistent when the same definitions and data coverage are used.
It cannot reveal interactions that were never captured, and assigning credit does not prove that an interaction caused the outcome. People may encounter a brand through several channels, conversations, and devices before acting.
Read an attribution report with these questions beside it.
What outcome is being counted?
A form submission, qualified inquiry, sale, and retained customer answer different questions.
What information is missing?
Consent choices, offline interactions, identity matching, and system boundaries can limit coverage.
How is credit assigned?
Understand the model before comparing its result with another report.
What decision will this inform?
Use the report alongside other evidence rather than treating it as a complete budget instruction.
Keep model changes visible.
If the rules, event definitions, or data sources change, a trend may move even when customer behavior has not. Record those changes and avoid comparing periods as though the measurement stayed identical.