First-Click vs Last-Click Attribution: Which View Is More Useful?
First-click and last-click attribution answer different questions. Neither model is inherently “correct”; each emphasizes a different part of the journey.
First-click favors discovery
It highlights the source that first introduced the user, making it useful for understanding acquisition and top-of-funnel discovery.
Last-click favors closing interactions
It highlights the final eligible interaction before conversion and often aligns more closely with short-term optimization workflows.
Both ignore the middle
A journey with repeated email, retargeting, search, and direct visits may be compressed into a single credited touchpoint.
Use model differences diagnostically
If a channel looks strong under first-click but weak under last-click, that can reveal its likely role in discovery rather than closing.