Marketing & Advertising
Social Advertising Attribution Calculator
Estimate observed and attributed conversions from impressions, click-through and conversion assumptions, then reconcile media spend, attributed revenue, gross profit, and contribution.
Expected paid-social clicks-
Observed post-click purchases-
Conversions credited to campaign-
Media spend-
Media plus fixed creative cost-
Attributed revenue-
Attributed gross profit-
Gross profit after campaign cost-
Attributed revenue ROAS-
Contribution before creative per media dollar-
Cost per attributed conversion-
Decision view
Observed response and attributed campaign value
Observed response and attributed campaign valueImpressions create clicks and observed purchases, but only the entered attribution share is credited before media, creative, revenue and gross profit are reconciled.
Exact scenario comparisonObserved purchases credited to campaign (%) changes while all other entered assumptions remain constant.
| Observed purchases credited to campaign (%) | Expected paid-social clicks | Observed post-click purchases | Conversions credited to campaign | Media spend | Media plus fixed creative cost | Attributed revenue | Attributed gross profit | Gross profit after campaign cost | Attributed revenue ROAS | Contribution before creative per media dollar | Cost per attributed conversion |
|---|
Period-by-period detail
Attribution-credit cases
How to use Social Advertising Attribution Calculator
- Match the attribution window to the reporting platform.
- Use delivered impressions and actual media spend.
- Compare attributed results with a holdout or incrementality test when possible.
Calculator guide
Understanding Social Advertising Attribution Calculator
Paid-social reporting should separate delivered exposure, clicks, observed conversions, the portion credited to ads, campaign spend, and contribution after product margin.
Calculation method
How the calculation works
Separate delivered impressions, clicks, observed purchases and attributed purchases before reconciling media, creative, revenue, margin and contribution. Impressions generate clicks through CTR; clicks generate observed conversions; the entered attribution share limits the conversions credited to the campaign before revenue and margin are applied.
Attribution split
Separate observed conversions from credited campaign impact
The diagram shows impressions, clicks, observed conversions, attributed conversions, and the contribution remaining after spend.
Worked situations
Practical examples
- A prospecting campaign may have lower attributed conversion than a retargeting campaign but greater incremental reach.
- A view-through window can credit sales without a click.
- Platform-reported ROAS can differ from finance-recognized revenue.
Better inputs
Useful tips
- Separate prospecting from retargeting.
- Deduplicate cross-platform conversions.
- Use contribution ROAS as well as revenue ROAS.
Before relying on the result
Limitations and common mistakes
- Attribution is not proof of incrementality.
- Cross-device behavior, view-through rules, organic overlap, returns, fraud, and privacy loss can change observed results.
- Constant rates do not reproduce auction dynamics.
Reference
Key terms
- Attributed conversion
- Conversion credited to the campaign under the selected rule.
- Incrementality
- Outcome caused by advertising beyond the counterfactual baseline.
- Contribution ROAS
- Gross profit after media cost divided by media spend.
Important note
Calculated from the entered campaign values. Validate attribution, incrementality, lag, margin, and observed source data before making decisions.
Frequently asked questions
Which attribution window should be used?
Use the window tied to the business decision and report it explicitly.
Does this include view-through conversions?
Only if they are included in the observed conversions or attribution share entered.
Why can ROAS and contribution disagree?
ROAS uses revenue, while contribution also reflects margin and media cost.