How attribution works
Attribution broke at iOS 14.5 and isn't coming back. Instead of fighting it, Attribura stacks several signals and reports each result with a confidence score — directional, never sold as deterministic.
The spine
Every sale is mapped back along one path: Creative → Distribution → Conversion → Outcome. A Distribution is a post published to a channel; a Conversion is an install/signup/purchase carrying whatever attribution signal exists; the Outcome is the revenue. The job of attribution is to join a Conversion back to the Distribution that drove it.
The signals, strongest first
| Signal | How it maps | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign token (App Store) | A tracked link carries a unique token; Apple attributes the install + revenue to it. | ~0.99 — deterministic |
| Discount code | A per-post code said at checkout pins the order to that post (Shopify/Stripe). | ~0.98 — deterministic |
| Comment → DM link | A keyword triggers a DM (or public reply) carrying that post's tracked link. | ~0.95 — deterministic |
| Self-report (verified) | The in-app answer matches a single recent post you had on that channel. | ~0.60 — directional |
| Self-report (channel) | The answer names a channel, but several / no recent posts match — channel-level only. | ~0.45 — directional |
| Dark social | A friend, a podcast, App Store search — traffic no link could ever see. | ~0.40 — directional |
Deterministic signals always win: a sale that carries a token or code is never overridden by a survey answer. Self-report only fills the gap the deterministic signals miss.
Where each signal comes from
- Tracked links & tokens — minted per post on Create link; App Store installs land via the Analytics Reports API, taps via the short link.
- Discount codes — the zero-review revenue anchor; manage them on Discount codes.
- Comment automations— a keyword triggers a DM/reply with the post's tracked link. See Comment automations.
- Self-report— the in-app “How did you hear about us?” answer, sent by the iOS SDK; catches dark social and App Store Search.