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Understanding Attribution Source in Stack

Attribution is a powerful tool that helps you understand which channels or sources your contacts are coming from. By analyzing this data, you can identify growth opportunities and determine which channels are most effective for generating leads. For instance, if you're running ads on Facebook and Google, attribution can help you see which platform is driving more leads into Stack.

Table of Contents​

What is Attribution?​

Attribution provides insight into which channels or sources your contacts originate from. This information is crucial for identifying growth opportunities and understanding which channels have the most potential for generating leads.

First vs. Latest Attribution​

When attributing a contact to a specific source, it's important to consider both the first and latest attribution:

  • First Attribution: This is recorded the first time a contact interacts with your system. For example, when someone fills out a "Contact Us" form.
  • Latest Attribution: This is recorded during the most recent interaction. For instance, after filling out a form, a contact might purchase a product via a Stack Two-Step Order Form. This interaction updates the latest attribution data.

Note: The latest attribution updates with each new interaction, while the first attribution remains unchanged.

Locating Contact Attribution Data​

You can find both first and latest attribution data in the contact record:

  1. Navigate to Contacts.
  2. Select a contact record.
  3. Locate the attribution data in the bottom right column under the Activity tab.

Types of Attribution Sources​

Attribution sources help categorize how contacts find your business. Here are the types you might encounter:

Traffic from paid search campaigns, such as Google Ads, falls under this category. Ensure your URLs have the correct UTM parameters:

{YourLandingPageUrl.com}?utm_source=adwords&utm_medium={adname}&utm_campaign={campaignname}&utm_content={adgroupname}&utm_keyword={keyword}&utm_matchtype={matchtype}&campaign_id={campaignid}&ad_group_id={adgroupid}&ad_id={creative}

Traffic from paid social campaigns, like Facebook and Instagram ads, is categorized here. Use the following UTM parameters:

{YourLandingPageUrl.com}?utm_source=fb_ad&utm_medium=`{{adset.name}}`&utm_campaign=`{{campaign.name}}`&utm_content=`{{ad.name}}`&campaign_id=`{{campaign.id}}`

Direct Traffic​

Direct traffic occurs when visitors type your URL directly into their browser or remove all query parameters before visiting.

This source includes traffic from non-paid search results on engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo.

Social Media​

Traffic from social media platforms, when users share your content or website, falls under this category.

Referrals​

Referrals come from external sites linking to your website, excluding search engines and social media sites.

Others​

This category includes leads generated through channels like incoming calls, SMS, emails, WhatsApp messages, or Facebook messages.

CRM UI​

Leads manually created within the Stack CRM are categorized here.

Third-Party​

Leads created by third-party tools, such as Zapier, are identified as third-party sources.

Events Recording Attribution​

Attribution data is captured when a contact performs one or more of the following actions within the same session:

  • Form/Survey Submission
  • Calendar Booking Submission
  • Chat Widget Submission (after providing contact info)
  • Order Form Submission (One or Two-Step)

Note: These actions must be performed using Stack forms, surveys, calendars, chat widgets, and order forms to capture attribution data.

Determining Attribution Source​

Attribution sources are determined by analyzing the full page URL and referring domain against specific rules:

  1. Paid Search: UTM parameters indicate Google Ads or Microsoft Ads.
  2. Paid Social: UTM parameters indicate Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Reddit Ads.
  3. Social Media: Referring domain is a social media site.
  4. Organic Search: Referring domain is a search engine.
  5. Referral: Referring domain is neither a social media site nor a search engine.
  6. Direct Traffic: No referring domain or tracking URL.
  7. Others: Leads from calls, SMS, emails, or messages.
  8. CRM UI: Manually created leads within the CRM.
  9. Third-Party: Leads from third-party integrations.

Ad Reporting Setup​

For setting up your paid ads attribution tracking, refer to the documentation for Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads.

Troubleshooting Ad Reporting Issues​

If attribution data isn't recorded after setting up ad reporting, try these troubleshooting steps:

  • Check for Spaces or Misspellings: Ensure UTM parameters are free of errors and case-sensitive discrepancies.
  • Confirm Submissions on Final URL: Ensure users complete actions on the landing page without navigating away.
  • Avoid Custom UTM Parameters: Use Stack's UTM templates as instructed in the setup guides.

For further assistance, feel free to contact our support team anytime.