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What is Attribution Divergence?

Understanding why different platforms report different attribution numbers for the same conversions.

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What is Attribution Divergence? | Marketing Guide
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Learn about attribution divergence - why platforms disagree on conversion credit and how to handle it.
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attribution divergenceattribution discrepancy
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platform attributionconversion trackingmulti-touch attribution

Definition of Attribution Divergence

Attribution divergence occurs when different measurement platforms attribute the same conversion to different marketing touchpoints, leading to conflicting performance data.

Why Platforms Diverge

  • Different tracking methods

  • Different attribution windows

  • Different models

Each platform uses its own tracking technology, attribution windows, and credit models, leading to inevitable disagreements.

Common Divergence Patterns

  • Self-attribution bias

  • View-through conflicts

  • Cross-device gaps

Recognizable patterns help identify the sources of divergence and potential solutions.

Impact on Marketing Decisions

  • Budget misallocation

  • Channel over-crediting

  • Optimization confusion

Divergence makes it difficult to make confident budget allocation and optimization decisions.

Managing Divergence

Strategies for triangulating truth when platforms disagree.