What is first-click attribution?
First-click attribution is a model that gives 100% of the credit for a conversion to the first touchpoint a customer interacted with. It ignores every later interaction on the path to purchase.
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When first-click is useful
First-click answers the question of which channels introduce new people to your brand. That makes it useful when you want to judge awareness and discovery efforts, which often get little credit under last-click.
Where first-click falls short
It gives no credit to the retargeting, email, or search that helped close the sale. Used alone, it can push you to overspend on top-of-funnel channels without showing whether those customers ever convert.
Because it depends on seeing the first touch, it also struggles when people switch devices or clear cookies. Many teams compare first-click with last-click and other models to see the whole picture.
Common questions
What is the difference between first-click and last-click attribution?
First-click credits the first interaction, and last-click credits the final one before conversion. They often highlight different channels for the same sales.
Which channels does first-click favor?
It tends to favor channels that introduce new people, such as social, display, video, and organic discovery. It gives less credit to channels that capture existing demand.
Is first-click attribution still used?
It's less common as a default, but it can still be a useful way to see which channels start journeys. Google Ads and Google Analytics no longer offer it as a model.
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