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Banner Attribution

Banner attribution links a user’s purchase to a banner they previously viewed or clicked. This helps measure the impact of your banners on conversions, even if the purchase doesn’t happen immediately after the interaction.

Format-Specific Attribution Settings

Banner ads, along with Native and Video ads, share the same attribution configuration. This grouping recognizes their similar role in the customer journey—building awareness and driving discovery at the top of the funnel.

Available Attribution Models

  1. Last-Click Attribution: Credits the most recent banner click before conversion

    • Best for: Direct response banner campaigns
    • Common window: 7-14 days

  2. Last-Impression Attribution: Credits the most recent banner view before conversion

    • Best for: Brand awareness and discovery campaigns
    • Common window: 14-30+ days

Example Configurations

Brand Awareness Campaign:

Model: Last-impression
Window: 30 days
Use case: Homepage takeover banners promoting seasonal collections

Promotional Campaign:

Model: Last-click
Window: 7 days
Use case: Flash sale banners with immediate call-to-action

Attribution Methods

Topsort offers two main methods for attributing purchases, depending on where your banner leads:

1. Attributing Purchases from Product Pages (PDP/PLP)

This method is for banners that link directly to a Product Detail Page (PDP) or a Product Listing Page (PLP).

  • Impression (CPM Banners): When a banner loads on a page and is set to charge by CPM (Cost Per Mille), send a “banner impression” event to Topsort, including the resolvedBidId from the auction response.
  • Click (CPC Banners): If the banner is set to charge by CPC (Cost Per Click) and the user clicks it, send a “banner click” event to Topsort, using the resolvedBidId.

Redirecting to PDP (Product Detail Page):

When the user clicks the banner and is redirected to a PDP, immediately send a “product click” event to Topsort. This event must include the resolvedBidId from the banner and an additionalAttribution object.

This ensures any future purchase of that specific product is attributed to the banner.

Example Product Click Event for PDP:

{
  "clicks": [
    {
      "id": "...",
      "resolvedBidId": "ChAGcYkXyzR3q5UEOql7QpBd...",
      "placement": { "path": "/home/banner-destination-page" },
      "occurredAt": "2024-10-23T06:03:21.403Z",
      "opaqueUserId": "...",
      "additionalAttribution": {
        "id": "MKJY40600", // Product ID
        "type": "product"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Redirecting to PLP (Product Listing Page):

A “product click” event should only be sent to Topsort after the user clicks on a specific product within the listed products on the PLP. This event must also include the resolvedBidId from the banner and an additionalAttribution object (same structure as for PDP). This correctly attributes any subsequent purchase of that chosen product.

2. Attributing Purchases from Vendor Pages (Halo Attribution)

This method, called Halo Attribution, is for banners that lead to a vendor or brand landing page, or when you want to attribute all purchases from a specific vendor after a banner interaction. It indirectly links purchases to the banner by associating them with the vendor from the original banner event. Check the Halo Attribution article for more details.

Attribution Window Best Practices

  • Test Different Windows: Start with 14-30 days for impression attribution
  • Consider Your Audience: B2B or high-value items may need longer windows
  • Seasonal Adjustments: Extend windows during peak shopping seasons
  • Monitor Incrementality: Compare attributed vs baseline conversions

By implementing these attribution methods with appropriate models and windows, you can accurately track and measure the effectiveness of your banner campaigns within Topsort.