What is Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA)?
Also known as: MTA, Multi-Touch Attribution
A method of distributing conversion credit across every touchpoint in a customer journey rather than crediting only the last click.
The detailed definition
MTA models try to answer the harder question: how much did each marketing touchpoint contribute to a conversion that took multiple steps to land? The six common models — first-touch, last-touch, linear, time-decay, position-based (U-shaped or W-shaped), and data-driven — each encode different assumptions about how influence works. None is universally correct. The practical recommendation for most teams: position-based MTA for cross-channel optimization (credits both demand-gen and demand-capture), last-click for daily tactical decisions (matches platform reporting and is operationally simple), and data-driven only when you have the volume (typically 600+ conversions/month per channel) to train an ML model honestly.
Frequently asked about Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA)
›Why use multi-touch instead of last-click?
Last-click credits whichever channel happened to be last — usually branded search or retargeting that would have converted regardless. MTA spreads credit across the touchpoints that actually contributed, including demand-gen channels (display, social, podcasts) that last-click zeros out.
›Which MTA model is most accurate?
Data-driven attribution is theoretically most accurate because it learns from your actual conversion data, but requires high volume and is opaque. For most growth-stage teams, position-based (40% first + 40% last + 20% middle) is the best default — it credits demand-gen and demand-capture without zeroing out the middle.
›Did iOS 14.5 break multi-touch attribution?
It broke the deterministic device-level tracking that made MTA reliable on paid social. The 2026 workaround stack: platform modeled conversions, server-side CAPI, SKAdNetwork for apps, and reconciliation against backend revenue. No single source is ground truth — modern MTA cross-checks three or four.
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