What is Attribution?
Attribution helps us understand where your contacts are coming from by breaking down the channels or sources that bring them to you. This insight is crucial for identifying growth opportunities and figuring out which channels are most effective.
For instance, if you're running Facebook and Google Ads, you'd want to know which platform is better at bringing in leads through Ivorey. Attribution gives you this clarity.
In this article, we'll guide you through how to use attribution in Ivorey and show you where to set up your ad reporting.
What Are "First" and "Latest" Attribution?
When tracking a contact's journey, it's helpful to consider both their first and latest interactions. Ivorey records both of these for every contact:
First Attribution: This captures the initial interaction a contact has with your system. For example, if someone fills out a Contact Us form, that’s their first attribution.
Latest Attribution: This records the most recent interaction before the contact became part of your system. For instance, if someone fills out a Contact Us form and then makes a purchase through Ivorey’s Two-Step Order Form, the latest attribution will reflect this final action.
💡 The latest attribution will update with each new interaction, but the first attribution remains constant.
Where to Find Contact Attribution Data
You can find attribution data in the bottom right corner of each contact record. Here’s how:
Go to the Sub-Account.
Navigate to Contacts.
Select a contact record.
Look for the attribution data at the bottom right column under the Activity tab.
First Attribution: This is the contact's first interaction with your system, typically their first visit to your website or their initial engagement with your sources.
Latest Attribution: This shows the contact’s last interaction before they were recorded in your system.
Types of Attribution Sources
Let’s explore the different sources you might see in the First or Latest Attribution value:
Paid Search
Paid Social
Direct Traffic
Organic Search
Social Media
Referrals
Others
CRM UI
Third-Party
Each Attribution Source Explained
Google Ads UTM Parameters
Name | Key | Value |
UTM Source | utm_source | adwords |
UTM Medium | utm_medium | {adname} |
Campaign | utm_campaign | {campaignname} |
UTM Content | utm_content | {adgroupname} |
Match Type | utm_matchtype | {matchtype} |
Campaign | campaign_id | {adgroupid} |
Ad Group ID | ad_group_id | {adgroupid} |
Ad ID | ad_id | {creative} |
Example UTM Parameters for Google Ads (Case sensitive):
{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}
Paid Social (Facebook & Instagram Ads)
Name | Key | Value |
UTM Source | utm_source | fb_ad |
UTM Medium | utm_medium | {{adset.name}} |
Campaign | utm_campaign | {{campaign.name}} |
UTM Content | utm_content | {{ad.name}} |
Campaign | campaign_id | {{campaign.id}} |
Example UTM Parameters for Instagram and Facebook Ads (Case sensitive):
{YourLandingPageUrl.com}?utm_source=fb_ad&utm_medium={{adset.name}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}&campaign_id={{campaign.id}}
Types of Traffic Explained
Types of Traffic Explained
Direct Social
This traffic has no specific source. Typically, these visitors type your URL directly into their browser or remove query parameters before arriving at your site. To view the source URLs for these visitors, click on the Direct traffic source.
Organic Search
This refers to traffic from unpaid search results on search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo. You can see the search keywords used by clicking the Organic Search source in the Sources table. Note that encrypted search terms (SSL) may appear as "Unknown keywords."
Social Media
Traffic from social media platforms where your content is shared or where visitors come through social media links.
Referrals
Traffic coming from external websites that link to yours, excluding search engines and social media.
Other
Includes leads from various channels like incoming calls, SMS, emails, WhatsApp messages, or Facebook messages. This helps you keep track of all leads in one place.
CRM UI
Leads created manually within the Ivorey CRM are categorized here. This helps identify leads that were manually entered.
Third-Party
Leads generated through third-party tools are categorised as such, helping to identify leads from third-party integrations.
What Events in Ivorey™ Will Record Attribution?
For attribution data to be captured, a contact must perform one or more of the following actions within a single session:
Form or Survey Submission
Calendar Booking Submission
Chat Widget Interaction (After submitting contact info)
Order Form Submission (One or Two-Step)
Please note, only actions performed using Ivorey Forms, Surveys, Calendars, Chat Widgets, and Order Forms will capture attribution data.
Non-Ivorey™ events will not capture attribution data - this includes UTM parameter data.
How is Attribution Source Determined?
Ivorey™ uses a set of rules to categorise traffic sources. Here’s how we determine attribution:
Order | Rule | Source |
1 | The "utm_source" parameter contains the word “adwords” for Google Ad. | Paid Search |
2 | The "gclid" parameter is present, as it is the Google click ID. The "msclkid" parameter is present, it is the Microsoft click ID for Bing/Yahoo | Paid Search |
3 | The "utm_source", "utm_medium", or "utm_campaign" parameter is present and the referring domain is google.com. | Paid Search |
4 | The "utm_source" parameter contains the word “fb_ad” for Facebook Ad. We have deprecated utm_source=facebook, please use "fb_ad". The "utm_source" parameter contains the word “linkedin_ad” for Linkedin Ads and "twitter_ad" for Twitter Ads | Paid Social |
5 | The referring domain is a social media site. | Social Media |
6 | Referring domain is a search engine. (Google, Yahoo, Bing, Duckduckgo) | Organic Search |
7 | Referring domain is not a social media site or search engine. | Referral |
8 | No referring domain or tracking URL. | Direct Traffic |
9 | This shows up if the lead came from an Incoming Call/SMS/Email/WhatsApp/Facebook message or any other source not covered above. | Others |
10 | Lead is manually created within the CRM system | CRM UI |
11 | Lead is generated from a third-party integration tool like Zapier or Pabbly | Third-Party |
Troubleshooting and Testing
If you’re having trouble with your attribution data not appearing in Ivorey after setting up your Facebook, Instagram, or Google Ad Reporting, don’t worry - just follow these best practices:
Check for Spaces or Misspellings in the Final URL
Check for Spaces or Misspellings in the Final URL
Double-check your UTM parameters for any typos, extra spaces, or case sensitivity issues. It's a good idea to copy and paste the examples we provide to avoid any errors. Remember, UTM parameters are case-sensitive, so even a small discrepancy in upper or lower case can cause attribution issues.
Final URL: This is the URL that your contacts click on from their ad, leading them to take the next action on your site or form.
Confirm that Submissions Happen on the Final URL
Confirm that Submissions Happen on the Final URL
For your UTM parameters to be recorded correctly, users must stay on the final URL where they land from the ad. If they navigate away to another page to submit a form, the attribution data may not be captured. To ensure data is recorded, try to keep users on the same page where the form is filled out.
Use Ivorey’s UTM Templates
Use Ivorey’s UTM Templates
Avoid adding custom UTM parameters to your Facebook, Instagram, or Google Ads. Stick to the UTM templates provided in Ivorey’s setup instructions. Custom parameters can sometimes cause issues and may result in missing or incomplete data.
💡 Consider adding a pop-up or a dedicated section with the submission form on the final URL page to ensure data capture.
Need Help?
Hit the support chat widget inside Ivorey - we can:
Help you understand your attribution tags and events
Walk you through any of the steps above
Troubleshoot anything that’s not working
We’re here and ready to help via the chat widget in the bottom right of your Ivorey™ account. Or if you are looking for done-for-you support, you can browse our current services here