# First Click vs Last Click

> Compare First Click and Last Click attribution in the Campaign Report and learn how each model credits your campaigns.

**First Click** credits a conversion to the first ad click in the visitor journey: the campaign that introduced the buyer. **Last Click** credits the most recent ad click before the conversion: the campaign that closed the sale. Same conversions, same totals; only the credit moves between campaigns. You switch between the two in the Campaign Report, and this page shows what changes when you do and how to read it.

## The Two Models at a Glance

| | First Click | Last Click |
|---|-------------|------------|
| Credits | The first ad click in the visitor journey | The last ad click before the conversion |
| Question it answers | Which campaign introduced this customer? | Which campaign closed this sale? |
| Tends to favor | TOF prospecting and creative testing campaigns | MOF and BOF remarketing campaigns |

Both models are click-based: views never earn credit, and organic, email, and direct visits never take it away. AnyTrack docs also call them First Ad Click and Last Ad Click. Either way, a campaign needs [UTM parameters](/docs/utm-parameters) on its ad clicks to be attributed at all.

## Switch Models in the Campaign Report

1. Open the [Campaign Report](/docs/campaign-report).
2. Click the **Attribution** dropdown at the top of the report.
3. Pick **First Click** or **Last Click**. The report re-reads instantly.

<Callout icon="📘" theme="info">
**A view toggle, available on every plan**

Switching models only changes how the report reads. It does not change your tracking, the saved attribution settings in [Property Settings](/docs/property-settings), or the conversions AnyTrack sends to ad platforms via Conversion API.
</Callout>

## What Changes When You Switch

Here is the same store and the same seven days under each model. Campaign names are pixelated; the funnel-stage tags (TOF, MOF) are left readable.

<Image alt="AnyTrack Campaign Report under First Click attribution, with TOF campaigns holding the highest purchase counts" align="center" width="100%" border={true} src={firstClickShot} caption={"First Click: the TOF campaigns hold the highest purchase counts."} />

<Image alt="AnyTrack Campaign Report under Last Click attribution, with credit moved from TOF campaigns to MOF remarketing campaigns" align="center" width="100%" border={true} src={lastClickShot} caption={"Last Click: credit moves from the TOF rows to the MOF remarketing rows."} />

Three things to notice:

1. **Campaign numbers shift.** The AnyTrack event columns (`Purchase`, `Revenue`, `AddPaymentInfo`) are re-assigned campaign by campaign. The TOF/MOF - Testing row drops from 121 purchases to 85, while the MIX - MOF - Remarketing row jumps from 6 to 15.
2. **The totals row does not move.** Both views read 662 purchases and 80,858.40 in revenue. Each model credits exactly one ad click per conversion, so switching redistributes credit between campaigns; it never creates or removes conversions.
3. **Attributed Results and Attributed Revenue do not move either.** Those columns are fetched from the ad platform and follow the platform attribution model and window, so the AnyTrack dropdown has no effect on them.

<Callout icon="📘" theme="info">
**If your totals look different after switching**

Check the date range and filters. The attribution model redistributes credit between campaigns; it never changes the totals.
</Callout>

## How to Read Your Campaigns

Compare the same campaign under both models and read the difference as its role in the funnel:

| If a campaign... | It means... | Judge it with |
|------------------|-------------|---------------|
| Gains under First Click | It opens journeys other campaigns finish. Typical for TOF prospecting and testing. | First Click |
| Gains under Last Click | It closes journeys other campaigns started. Typical for MOF and BOF remarketing. | Last Click |
| Barely moves | It is the only ad its buyers ever clicked. | Either model |

Two rules of thumb:

- **Do not pause a TOF campaign on Last Click numbers alone.** Check it under First Click first: a campaign that rarely closes sales can still be the one filling your remarketing audiences.
- **A campaign that moves against its label is telling you something.** A TOF campaign gaining under Last Click is reaching warm audiences in practice; review its targeting overlap with your remarketing pools.

## Which Model Should You Use

- **Affiliate marketers** usually work in Last Click, matching how networks reward the click closest to the sale.
- **eCommerce advertisers** should read both: First Click shows whether TOF fills the funnel, Last Click shows whether remarketing converts it.
- **Lead generation advertisers** often lean on First Click, because leads close days or weeks after the campaign that introduced them.
- **If you want one number**, pick one model, use it consistently, and check the other before pausing anything.

<FaqAccordion
  title="First Click vs Last Click FAQ"
  icon="fa-duotone fa-circle-question"
  items={[
    {
      question: "Why did my campaign numbers change when I switched between First Click and Last Click?",
      answer: "Both models distribute the same conversions, but they credit different ad clicks. When a customer clicked several ads before converting, First Click credits the earliest campaign and Last Click credits the latest one, so per-campaign numbers shift while nothing is lost or added. Campaigns whose buyers only ever clicked one ad show the same numbers under both models."
    },
    {
      question: "Why are the report totals identical under both attribution models?",
      answer: "Each model credits exactly one ad click per conversion, so switching models moves credit between campaigns without creating or removing conversions. The totals row reads the same under First Click and Last Click. If your overall numbers look different after switching, check the date range or filters instead."
    },
    {
      question: "Why do Attributed Results stay the same when I switch attribution models?",
      answer: "Attributed Results and Attributed Revenue are fetched from the ad platform and reflect the platform attribution model and window, not the AnyTrack model. The Attribution dropdown only changes how AnyTrack-measured conversions are assigned to campaigns. See the <a href='/docs/campaign-report'>Campaign Report</a> guide for how the two column groups differ."
    },
    {
      question: "Does switching the attribution model change the data AnyTrack sends to ad platforms?",
      answer: "No. The Attribution dropdown is a view toggle available on every plan. It changes how the Campaign Report reads, and it does not affect tracking, the conversions AnyTrack sends via Conversion API, or the saved attribution settings in <a href='/docs/property-settings'>Property Settings</a>."
    },
    {
      question: "Which campaigns gain under First Click and which gain under Last Click?",
      answer: "TOF campaigns (prospecting, creative testing) usually gain under First Click because they start customer journeys. MOF and BOF campaigns (remarketing, retargeting) usually gain under Last Click because they close journeys other campaigns started. A campaign that moves against its label, such as a TOF campaign gaining under Last Click, is reaching warm audiences in practice."
    },
    {
      question: "Should I pause a TOF campaign that looks weak under Last Click?",
      answer: "Not on Last Click numbers alone. Check the same campaign under First Click before deciding. TOF campaigns introduce the buyers your remarketing campaigns close, so weak Last Click results are expected for them. Pausing a TOF campaign that performs under First Click can starve your MOF and BOF campaigns of buyers to convert."
    }
  ]}
/>

<Cards columns={2}>

  <Card title="Attribution Explained" icon="fa-diagram-project" iconColor="blue-500" href="/docs/anytrack-attribution-explained">
    How AnyTrack click-based attribution works, from UTM collection to the attribution window.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Campaign Report" icon="fa-chart-column" iconColor="blue-500" href="/docs/campaign-report">
    Where to switch models and how every column of the report is measured.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conversion Attribution Matrix" icon="fa-table-cells" iconColor="blue-500" href="/docs/conversion-attribution-matrix">
    Side-by-side comparison of AnyTrack, Meta Ads Manager, and GA4 attribution.
  </Card>

  <Card title="UTM Parameters" icon="fa-link" iconColor="blue-500" href="/docs/utm-parameters">
    Set up the UTM tracking templates both attribution models rely on.
  </Card>

</Cards>
