Data-driven attribution

Data-driven attribution is a Google Ads attribution model that shares the credit for a conversion across the ad interactions before it, based on your account’s own data.

By Berend Vrakking, founder of Product Metrics. Updated 7 October 2026.

Example

One €120.00 order, three ad interactions
Ad interaction	Last click share	Last click credit	Data-driven share (example)	Data-driven credit
Shopping ad click, first day	0%	€0.00	20%	€24.00
Search ad click, second day	0%	€0.00	30%	€36.00
Shopping ad click, fourth day (order placed)	100%	€120.00	50%	€60.00

Last click hands the whole €120.00 to the final click; a data-driven model spreads it across all three. Google works out the real split from your account’s data, so these shares are invented. Illustrative data.

For one product, and for an account

The model shares credit between ad interactions, and products never enter the question: it will not tell you which product started a journey or what the shopper bought next. Product Metrics is not an attribution tool either. Its Product Journeys view looks at what sessions that start on one product go on to buy, from your own GA4 data.

According to Google Ads Help, the model covers website, store visit and Google Analytics conversions from Search (including Shopping), YouTube, Display and Demand Gen ads. If you use an automated bid strategy to drive more conversions, your bidding uses the credit it assigns.

Common mistake

Comparing ROAS before and after a switch of attribution model as if performance changed. The model changes how credit is shared, not what customers bought.

Questions

What does data-driven attribution mean?

Attribution decides how much credit each ad interaction gets for a conversion. The data-driven model learns those shares from how people engage with your ads before they decide to become customers.

How many conversions does data-driven attribution need?

Google Ads Help recommends at least 200 conversions and 2,000 ad interactions in supported networks within a 30-day period, although every conversion action is eligible regardless of volume.

Is data-driven attribution the default in Google Ads?

Yes, for most conversion actions. Last click is the only other model Google Ads still supports.

Sources

Google Ads Help: About data-driven attribution

Keep reading

Last click attributionThe simpler model: all credit to the last click.
ROASThe return figure that the credit you assign feeds into.
Smart BiddingThe bid strategies that use your conversion data.
Full Signal TrackingSend every purchase to Google Ads from an endpoint on your own domain.
Incrementality testing for Google ShoppingAttribution says which ad was credited; a test shows what the ads added.