Attribution models: buyer questions answered
14 buyer questions about attribution model, each answered from the platforms' own help pages: a short answer, a step-by-step walkthrough with menu paths, and for some questions a version for one store type.
By Joris van Huët, Founder & CEOUpdated 4 min read
Each answer below takes one buyer question about attribution model and answers it from the platforms' own help pages, read on 1 October 2026. Read the short answer first. If you need to act in GA4, Shopify, Meta or Google Ads, the step-by-step version gives the menu paths.
The questions
What is the best attribution model for ecommerce?
- The short answer: What is the best attribution model for ecommerce?
- Step by step: How to pick the best ecommerce attribution model in GA4
- For one store type: What is the best attribution model for a home goods store?
What is last click attribution?
- The short answer: What is last click attribution?
- Step by step: How to see last click attribution in GA4, step by step
What is first click attribution?
- The short answer: What is first click attribution?
- Step by step: How to see first click attribution in Shopify and GA4
- For one store type: What is first click attribution for a pet products store?
What is multi-touch attribution?
- The short answer: What is multi-touch attribution?
- Step by step: How to read multi-touch attribution in GA4, step by step
Last click vs data-driven attribution, which is better?
- The short answer: Last click vs data-driven attribution, which is better?
- Step by step: How to test data-driven against last click before switching
- For one store type: Last click or data-driven for a food and beverage store?
What is linear attribution?
- The short answer: What is linear attribution?
- Step by step: How to run linear attribution in Shopify and GA4
What is time decay attribution?
- The short answer: What is time decay attribution?
- Step by step: How to calculate time decay attribution, step by step
- For one store type: What is time decay attribution for an electronics store?
What is position-based attribution?
- The short answer: What is position-based attribution?
- Step by step: Position-based attribution from a GA4 export, step by step
Why do attribution models give different answers?
- The short answer: Why do attribution models give different answers?
- Step by step: How to trace why attribution models disagree, step by step
- For one store type: Why do attribution models disagree for a fashion store?
Which attribution model should a Shopify store use?
- The short answer: Which attribution model should a Shopify store use?
- Step by step: How to choose a Shopify attribution model, step by step
What is marketing attribution?
- The short answer: What is marketing attribution?
- Step by step: How to set up marketing attribution, step by step
- For one store type: What is marketing attribution for a sports nutrition store?
How does ad attribution work?
- The short answer: How does ad attribution work?
- Step by step: How to trace ad attribution for one order, step by step
Is multi-touch attribution dead?
- The short answer: Is multi-touch attribution dead?
- Step by step: How to check if multi-touch attribution still works for you
- For one store type: Is multi-touch attribution dead for health and beauty?
What is causal attribution?
- The short answer: What is causal attribution?
- Step by step: How to measure causal attribution, step by step
How to read these answers
Each answer opens with the short version in bold. Most then set one store's anonymised GA4 export next to the usual answer. That export describes one store, not a benchmark, and holds shares of revenue only.
Every other figure comes from a platform's own help page, linked inside the answer, or is a worked example labelled as one. Each answer ends with three checks you can run this week, with what a pass and a fail look like.
Check the homework. Your GA4 Attribution paths export already holds the evidence. Causality Engine reads that one file and shows what each channel caused next to what last-click gave it, in 1 to 2 minutes, for €99 once (excluding VAT), refundable within 30 days. Check the homework
Related answers
Frequently asked questions
Where do the facts in these attribution model answers come from?
From the platforms' own help pages, read on 1 October 2026 and linked inside each answer, and from one store's anonymised GA4 export. That export holds shares of revenue only, and it describes one store, not a benchmark.Which attribution model answer should I read first?
Start with the question closest to the decision in front of you. Read the short answer first. If you need to act in the platform, the step-by-step version gives the menu paths.Can I check these attribution model answers on my own store?
Yes. Every answer ends with three checks you can run this week in Shopify, GA4 or the ad platform, each with what a pass and a fail look like.
Go deeper: Incrementality testing, explained.
Sixty-second versions of these ideas: Causality Engine on YouTube Shorts.
Keep reading
Terms in this article
- Attribution ModelAn Attribution Model defines how credit for conversions is assigned to marketing touchpoints. It dictates how marketing channels receive credit for sales.
- Causal AttributionCausal Attribution uses causal inference to determine which marketing touchpoints genuinely cause conversions, not just correlate with them.
- First Click AttributionFirst Click Attribution assigns all conversion credit to the first marketing touchpoint. Causal inference evaluates if first touchpoints truly drive conversions or if other interactions have greater causal impact.
- Last Click AttributionLast Click Attribution: Assigns all credit for a conversion to the final marketing touchpoint before that conversion.
- Linear AttributionLinear Attribution assigns equal credit to every marketing touchpoint in a customer's conversion path. This model distributes value uniformly across all interactions.
- Marketing AttributionMarketing attribution assigns credit to marketing touchpoints that contribute to a conversion or sale. Causal inference enhances attribution models by identifying true cause-effect relationships.
- Multi-Touch AttributionMulti-Touch Attribution assigns credit to multiple marketing touchpoints across the customer journey. It provides a comprehensive view of channel impact on conversions.
- Time Decay AttributionTime Decay Attribution is a multi-touch attribution model. It assigns increasing credit to marketing touchpoints closer to a conversion.