Overview

Moloco Commerce Media (MCM) uses a last-touch, click-based attribution model across Sponsored Product, Sponsored Brand, and Sponsored Display ad types. This document describes the attribution methodology, key specifications, deduplication logic, and configurable parameters available to platform operators.

Direct and Indirect Attribution

MCM distinguishes between Direct and Total (Direct + Indirect) attribution:

Type	Definition	Example
Direct	User clicks an item and purchases that same item from the same ad account.	Click on Product A, purchase Product A from the same ad account.
Indirect	User clicks an item but purchases a different item, or clicks a creative asset (logo, headline, CTA) resulting in any purchase from the same ad account.	Click on Product A, purchase Product B from the same ad account. Or click a creative banner, purchase any item from the same ad account.

Purchase Event Definition

A purchase event is recognized as a conversion when a consistent user identifier (the same identifier used in ad requests and user events) is present across both the Click event and the Purchase event within the attribution window.

Attribution Window and Direction

The attribution window is configured at the platform level, not at the individual ad-type or campaign level. All ad types within a given platform share the same attribution window (see this section for available windows).

The attribution direction is look back, meaning the conversion is attributed to the date of the click (unlike the look forward model where conversions are attributed to the date of the purchase.

Last-Touch Attribution Model

When a user clicks across multiple ads within the attribution window, the last-touched (most recently clicked) ad receives purchase attribution.

Attribution Priority: Direct > Indirect

Although last-touch applies in multi-ad scenarios, direct attribution takes priority over the last-touch rule. If a purchase is directly attributable to an earlier ad engagement, that earlier engagement receives credit over a more recent indirect touch.

Deduplication

Purchase Event Deduplication

A single conversion event (e.g., purchase) is attributed only once per pipeline. This ensures clean, single-deduped reporting.

Moloco deduplicates events that we deem identical to ensure correct attribution even when the data itself can be duplicated due to various algorithmic or system causes. The determination does not rely on the event_id value sent by the platform.

Click Deduplication

If multiple user clicks occur on various elements within the same ad (e.g., right-clicking to open tabs or clicking on multiple components of Sponsored Brands ad), the first click is captured as the billable click. Subsequent purchases are then attributed as direct or indirect based on the purchased item.

Cross-Ad-Type Deduplication

Attribution is deduplicated across all ad offerings using the industry-standard last-touch model. The ad with the most recent engagement (priority defined in last-touch model, read this section) receives credit for the order. A given conversion event is credited at most once in reported ROAS metrics under the configured last-click.

If a user has multiple eligible exposures across different formats, placements, or campaigns within the attribution window, only one touchpoint receives credit in the current model.

Immutable Platform Configurations

The following settings are configured once per platform and are mutually exclusive within each category.

Platform-Wide Attribution Window

Option	Description
1 day	Mutually exclusive; one option selected per platform.
7 days	Mutually exclusive; one option selected per platform.
14 days	Mutually exclusive; one option selected per platform.

Catalog Type

Although not part of the attribution configuration itself, the catalog type determines the conditions applied during attribution. For example, in a Single Seller per Item catalog, since only one seller is associated with a given item, direct attribution requires only an Item ID match. In contrast, with a Multi-Seller per Item catalog, where multiple sellers can be associated with the same item, direct attribution requires both an Item ID and Seller ID match before a purchase can be counted as attributed. Included here for reference.

Option	Description
Single Seller per Item (SSPI)	Each item in the catalog is associated with one seller.
Multi-Seller per Item (MSPI)	Items can be sold by multiple sellers.

Revenue Calculation: Scope & Limitations

The inclusion of shipping cost and VAT in the revenue calculation depends on how the platform sends the order price within the Purchase event. If platforms want to account for shipping cost or VAT, they should factor those into each item's price accordingly. This is not a separately configurable toggle but is determined by the data provided by the platform.

Returns and cancellations are not accounted for in attribution.