First-click vs last-click attribution in your tracker — pick by payout model

First-click vs last-click attribution in your tracker — pick by payout model

Your tracker attributes a conversion to one touch. Which touch decides who gets paid and what you scale.

Use last-click when:
— You buy on a CPA/CPL deal — the network credits the last referrer, match it.
— Funnels are short (one lander, one click).
— You need numbers that reconcile with the advertiser's panel.

Use first-click when:
— You run multi-step content funnels and want to credit the discovery source.
— You're judging top-of-funnel channels that rarely close directly.

Tradeoffs to weigh:
— Last-click undervalues awareness sources — you'll cut a channel that actually starts conversions.
— First-click overvalues cheap broad traffic that never closes.
— Mismatch with the advertiser's model = reconciliation hell every payout cycle.

Default rule: match your tracker's attribution window and model to the advertiser's exactly. Run a second "analysis" view with first-click only for channel insight — never for payment reconciliation.

Save this SOP. Run this before every launch.