How to adjust attribution settings
Overview
Attribution window settings can be adjusted on the Settings page to match attribution settings in previous providers or changing marketing strategies. Read on to learn how to adjust attribution settings for email and SMS!
⚠️ New to attribution? Read our guide to Sendlane’s attribution settings before adjusting yours!
Check out How Sendlane Calculates Attribution for an overview of Sendlane’s attribution defaults and best practices before adjusting your own attribution settings.
In this guide
- Attribution Qualification and Window Options
- Adjust Attribution Options
- View Contacts Who Converted
- FAQs
Attribution qualification and window options
- Opened or clicked emails - Attribution will be applied to purchases based on the latest email open or click in the specified window, whichever is later
- Opened or clicked emails (excluding Apple Privacy opens) - Attribution will be applied to purchases based on the latest email open or click in the specified window, whichever is later, unless the latest open was recorded as an Apple Privacy open. When Contacts have Apple Privacy settings turned on, all emails delivered to their inboxes are automatically considered opened. Because the email has not actually been confirmed opened, this metric is inherently inflated.
- Clicked emails only - Attribution will be applied to purchases based on the latest email click only in the specified window
The specified window for email opens and clicks can be between 1 and 30 days. Sendlane’s default window is 5 days.
SMS
- Sent or clicked SMS - Attribution will be applied to purchases based on the latest SMS message the Contact was sent or the last SMS message the Contact clicked in the specified window, whichever is later
- Clicked SMS - Attribution will be applied to purchases based on the latest SMS click only in the specified window
The specified window for sent SMS messages can be between 1 and 24 hours. The specified window for SMS clicks can be between 1 and 30 days. Sendlane’s default sent window is 24 hours, and the default clicked window is 5 days.
Adjust attribution options
⚠️ Considerations to make before changing attribution settings
- Adjusted attribution settings will be applied to reporting only for messages sent or Contact actions taken after the changes are made. For example, if you adjust attribution settings and later a Contact engages with an older Campaign (sent before the change was made) and makes a purchase that meet new attribution qualifications, that conversion will be applied to the older Campaign. Purchases made before the attribution settings were adjusted that qualify for the new attribution settings will not be retroactively applied to Campaign reporting.
- Automation attribution will not reset when attribution settings are updated. Revenue attribution for Automation message nodes will continue to sum cumulatively when attribution settings are adjusted.
- Attribution settings are applied to Campaigns and Automations as soon as you click Save Changes.
💡 New to Sendlane? Match your previous platform's attribution defaults!
Users who have moved to Sendlane from another platform should consider adjusting attribution to match the settings used in the previous platform for continuity.
If you're not sure what your previous attribution settings were, check out the help docs below from popular providers on their default attribution settings and where to look for customized settings:
| Attentive | Default Settings | Customized Settings |
| Postscript | Default Settings | Customized Settings |
| Klaviyo | Default Settings | Customized Settings |
To adjust attribution settings:
- Click the Account icon
- Click Attribution
- Select attribution settings and windows
- Click Save Changes
View contacts who converted
Use the Conversion tab in Campaign and Automation reports to see Contacts that have an attributed conversion for the message:
FAQs
Why is CVR more than 100% for SMS?
CVR is calculated as conversion count divided by click count. When the SMS attribution window is set to sent (instead of clicked), there is no click needed to attribute revenue to a campaign, which can lead to CVR > 100%.
How are multiple purchases made within the same attribution window counted?
If a Contact makes multiple unique orders that meet attribution setting specifications, both orders will be attributed to the channel the Contact engaged with.
Why is an old email showing a new attributed purchase after attribution settings were changed?
Purchases made before the attribution settings were adjusted that qualify for the new attribution settings are not retroactively applied to Campaign reporting.
You may see orders attributed to older messages if contacts open an older email, click a link in an older email, or click a link in an older SMS message, and make a purchase without seeing a corresponding open or click record on the contact's profile. Open and click events are displayed in a contact's profiles for two weeks after the campaign is sent. If contacts open or click a campaign after that two-week period, the open or click will not show on the contact's profile, but it will still be recorded for the campaign.
This means you may see an order attributed to an older message in a contact's profile without seeing an open or click record. In the example below, an order from June 17th is attributed to a campaign sent on May 27th. Even though we can't see it on the contact profile page, this contact did open the May 27th message within the attribution window settings.
