First-click Attribution

What is First-click attribution?

First-click attribution is an affiliate marketing attribution model where credit for a sale, lead, or conversion goes to the first affiliate or marketing source that referred the customer.

In simple terms, the first tracked click “wins.” If a customer first discovers a brand through an affiliate link, then later comes back through another affiliate link, an ad, an email, or a direct visit, the original affiliate may still receive credit for the conversion, depending on the program’s rules.

How first-click attribution works

Imagine an affiliate shares a link to an online store. A customer clicks the link, browses the site, but does not buy right away. A few days later, the same customer clicks a different affiliate’s link and then makes a purchase.

With first-click attribution, the first affiliate would usually receive the commission because they were the original referral source.

This model is often used when a business wants to reward the affiliate or channel that introduced the customer to the brand, rather than the final touchpoint before purchase.

For affiliates, this model can feel fair because it protects their original referral. If they introduced the customer to the business, they are less likely to lose credit just because the customer later clicked another link.However, first-click attribution may not always reward the affiliate who helped close the sale. That’s why some programs use last-click attribution instead, while others use custom rules.

In LeadDyno, this concept is closely related to settings like First Source Wins and First Affiliate Wins, which help control whether a customer’s original source or affiliate assignment can be replaced by a later click, coupon code, or referral.