Linear Attribution

Definition

Linear Attribution: Linear attribution splits a conversion's credit evenly across every marketing touchpoint in the user's journey. A purchase with 4 touches gives each touch 25% credit.

# Linear Attribution Linear attribution distributes equal credit to every tracked touchpoint in a user's path to purchase. A buyer who saw a Meta ad, clicked a Google search result, opened an email, and finally bought from a retargeting ad would give each channel 25% of that sale's revenue. ## Why it matters Linear attribution is the compromise between first-click (credits only discovery) and last-click (credits only closing). It acknowledges that most DTC purchases involve 3-7 touchpoints across several days and that no single touch deserves 100% of the credit. It is also the simplest multi-touch model to explain to a stakeholder who just wants to know "which channels matter." ## How Admaxxer surfaces it Admaxxer computes linear attribution as one of three side-by-side views in the Attribution dashboard (alongside [first-click](/glossary/first-click-attribution) and last-click). Each campaign card shows all three numbers so you can see channels that look small under last-click but large under linear — those are usually the ones seeding demand without getting credit. ## How it compares Linear is friendlier to upper-funnel channels than last-click but less generous to discovery than first-click. For most DTC brands, linear ROAS lands between the two. Pair it with [MER](/glossary/mer) as the honesty check. ## Example A conversion touched Meta (discovery), Google branded search (close), email (retention nudge), and direct (final session). Under linear, each gets 25% of the $120 order — $30 in revenue apiece — rather than Google getting the full $120 under last-click.

Most related

Continue exploring the DTC ad-analytics vocabulary — every term in this glossary cross-links to the next.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is linear attribution different from data-driven attribution?

Linear is a fixed rule: every touch gets the same weight. Data-driven uses machine learning to assign different weights per journey based on historical conversion likelihood.

Does linear attribution work for long sales cycles?

Yes, but it becomes less meaningful as journeys exceed 10+ touches. At that point, time-decay or position-based models are usually more informative.

Can I pick linear in Google Analytics?

It was available in Universal Analytics but removed in GA4 in 2023. GA4 defaults to data-driven. Admaxxer exposes linear explicitly.

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