Google Analytics session attribution confusion spreads among professionals

A LinkedIn ballot posted by Witold Wrodarczyk on December 9, 2024 revealed widespread confusion about Google Analytics 4 session attribution mechanics amongst promoting and analytics professionals. The ballot attracted 624 votes, with 59% offering incorrect solutions to a elementary query about how the platform attributes direct visitors to earlier classes.

In response to the poll, Wrodarczyk requested members to foretell session supply attribution when a consumer visits an internet site from Instagram, then returns two days later by typing the URL instantly into the identical browser. The vast majority of respondents chosen “(direct)” because the session supply, whereas the right reply was “instagram.com” primarily based on Google Analytics 4’s final non-direct click on attribution mannequin for session sources.

The confusion stems from how Google Analytics handles direct visitors otherwise than many professionals anticipate. Session-scope attribution in GA4 determines the supply that began every session, however the platform avoids assigning classes to direct visitors at any time when potential by inheriting the earlier supply inside the lookback window. The default lookback window in GA4 is 90 days, in line with documentation from Search Engine Land revealed Might 26, 2024.

Simo Ahava, co-founder at Simmer and accomplice at 8-bit-sheep, confirmed the attribution habits by way of testing documented within the LinkedIn discussion. On December 8, Ahava collected a single session with supply “t.me/WebAnalyst” in GA4’s Site visitors Acquisition report. After analyzing the session in BigQuery, Ahava found the session had no marketing campaign setting parameters in any respect—it was a direct session. Nevertheless, the session was attributed to “t.me/WebAnalyst” supply as a result of that represented the latest non-direct supply from the consumer, seen within the BigQuery desk exhibiting the consumer visited from this supply in mid-November.

The dialogue revealed a big downside: Google’s personal documentation comprises incorrect details about session attribution. In response to Ben Luong, senior digital analytics guide, Google Analytics assist article 14731736 contradicts the precise platform habits. The documentation means that following classes after an preliminary supply attribution might be direct, which testing has confirmed incorrect.

Wrodarczyk performed verification testing to settle the talk. In response to his December 10 remark, he visited his web site as soon as with UTM parameters “/?utm_source=test1&utm_medium=test1” after which closed the window. He subsequently visited the web site instantly by typing the plain URL a number of instances with intervals longer than half-hour, on the identical day and the next day. The outcomes confirmed 4 classes with the test1 supply, regardless of the hyperlink with UTM getting used solely as soon as. This confirmed that session attribution operates in final non-direct mode.

The attribution methodology displays a elementary shift from Common Analytics. In Common Analytics, default experiences attributed whole credit score for conversions to the final click on utilizing what was known as the final non-direct click on mannequin. GA4 gives wider availability of various attribution fashions, however the habits depends upon report scope—whether or not consumer acquisition supply, session supply, or occasion supply.

Session supply will solely present as direct when Analytics can’t establish some other supply of go to for a given consumer inside the lookback window. This creates eventualities the place customers see classes attributed to sources from weeks prior, so long as these interactions fall inside the 90-day default window. The lookback window determines how far again in time a touchpoint is eligible for attribution credit score, with choices to alter it to 60 or 30 days in property settings.

Google Analytics expanded its core scoping features from one to three dimensions on December 30, 2024, introducing consumer scope, session scope, and occasion scope to interchange its earlier session-based monitoring system. This technical modification impacts how advertising attribution information is collected and analyzed throughout totally different interplay factors.

The primary consumer supply dimension represents one other layer of attribution complexity. This dimension reveals the place customers got here from to the web site or software for the primary time, recorded by the first_visit occasion for web sites or first_open occasion for apps. In response to the Search Engine Land documentation, the primary go to supply is attributed utilizing the final non-direct click on mannequin, making use of solely to interactions earlier than the primary web site go to or app open.

As soon as assigned, the primary consumer supply stays unchanged so long as Google Analytics can technically hyperlink the consumer’s exercise on the web site and app with the identical consumer. The primary consumer supply will reset if monitoring of the consumer is misplaced, resembling when the consumer doesn’t go to the web site for a interval longer than the Analytics cookie expiration date.

The cookie expiration time in GA4 is about to 24 months by default however may be modified to intervals between one hour and 25 months. Subsequent visits could renew this time restrict. Nevertheless, the information retention interval is about by default to solely two months, although this may be modified to 14 months. Within the paid model, Google Analytics 360, retention can lengthen to 50 months.

Occasion scope attribution introduces extra complexity by way of attribution fashions set in GA4 property settings. The default data-driven mannequin may be modified at any time, with modifications working retroactively to have an effect on historic information. The platform gives a number of predefined fashions together with final click on, first click on, linear, time decay, position-based, and data-driven attribution.

All fashions use the non-direct precept, that means they don’t assign worth to direct visits until there isn’t any different interplay on the trail. The ads-preferred fashions assign the complete worth of key occasions to Google Adverts interactions in the event that they happen within the funnel. The controversial Google Paid Channels Last Click reporting attribution model attributes 100% of conversion worth to the final Google Adverts channel a buyer interacted with earlier than changing.

The LinkedIn dialogue highlighted how professionals with in depth business expertise struggled with these mechanics. Krista Seiden, founding father of KS Digital and former Google worker, commented on December 10 that the outcomes had been “unimaginable how skewed (within the unsuitable route)” they had been. She famous shock on the job titles of those that offered unsuitable solutions.

Grant Higginson, digital analytics and advertising engineering guide, initially argued each solutions might be appropriate relying on interpretation. In response to his December 10 remark, the supply of the second session for the consumer underneath consumer acquisition experiences can be Instagram, however for visitors acquisition experiences it could rely on whether or not the query referred to the particular session or the consumer’s total supply attribution.

Wrodarczyk addressed this interpretation in his response, clarifying that first consumer supply is assigned to the consumer “perpetually” in Analytics experiences. This implies it’s potential for customers to have their first go to from one other supply greater than 90 days in the past after which have a direct go to. In such instances, these visits will present as direct as a result of the go to from the opposite supply mirrored within the first consumer supply was past the lookback window.

Google Analytics boosts Data Import features and fixes Attribution Bug on September 25, 2024, addressing a difficulty affecting session attribution when utilizing user-provided information. The issue brought on over-attribution of classes to direct visitors underneath eventualities involving user-provided information with automated consumer information assortment.

The dialogue additionally revealed limitations in how Google Analytics handles classes throughout lively searching. In GA4, a session begins when a consumer visits the web site or app and ends after consumer inactivity for a specified time—half-hour by default. Closing the browser window doesn’t finish the session. If the browser window is closed, one other go to to the web site inside the time restrict will nonetheless belong to the identical session until the browser deletes cookies and browser information after closing.

If a go to from a brand new supply happens throughout a session, a brand new session won’t begin, and the supply of the present session will stay unchanged. This doesn’t imply the go to from the brand new supply is ignored. GA4 information the supply of this go to, and event-scope attribution experiences will take into consideration all sources of all classes.

Rethinking conversion windows for accurate attribution in GA4 examines how the default settings for conversion home windows may not be preferrred for reaching correct attribution information. Inside GA4, a conversion window defines a time-frame measured in days that determines how far again in time a touchpoint may be credited for influencing a conversion occasion.

The attribution paths report in GA4 gives wealthy information together with days to key occasion and the variety of interactions for a given path, known as touchpoints to key occasion. This partly compensates for the shortage of time lag and path size experiences that had been separate in Common Analytics. The power to decide on an attribution mannequin for this report could also be shocking at first sight, because the attribution mannequin doesn’t have an effect on attribution paths themselves however relatively how credit score is distributed throughout interactions within the chosen mannequin.

Modeled and blended information represents one other elementary change in Google Analytics 4. Reviews embody information collected by monitoring code enriched with modeled information utilizing info collected in cookieless consent mode for customers who haven’t given consent to monitoring and information for customers logged into Google. This information is fragmentary, however Google can fill within the lacking information utilizing extrapolations and mathematical modeling.

Google Analytics refocuses user-provided data on ads conversions on November 5, 2025, shifting the system’s focus towards promoting conversion accuracy and away from consumer session attribution. The infrastructure replace represents a elementary change in how the platform processes first-party buyer info.

The ballot controversy highlighted rising issues about platform documentation accuracy and the challenges professionals face preserving present with attribution mechanics. A number of members famous that even Google’s official assist articles contradict precise platform habits, creating confusion for entrepreneurs trying to implement correct monitoring and interpret marketing campaign efficiency.

Jeremy Muratore, a advertising skilled centered on crafting advertising at scale, commented within the dialogue that the excellence between totally different supply dimensions creates complexity. A supply shouldn’t be common anymore in GA4, with variations together with advert supply, CM360 supply, DV360 supply, SA360 supply, first consumer, handbook supply, handbook supply platform, session supply, and session handbook supply. UTM parameters have shifted into totally different buckets enabling complicated and complicated attribution modeling conversations.

The technical implications lengthen to reporting accuracy and marketing campaign optimization. When entrepreneurs misunderstand session attribution, they might incorrectly consider channel efficiency, misallocate finances, or draw false conclusions about buyer journey patterns. GA4 adds key event rate metrics to User Acquisition and Traffic Acquisition reports, introducing consumer key occasion price and session key occasion price to offer deeper engagement insights.

The dialogue additionally touched on how Google Analytics processes visitors from cost gateways and exterior websites throughout lively classes. Sources of those visits are thought-about undesirable referrals and ought to be excluded in configuration. Visits from excluded referrals are reported as direct visits. In GA4, these visits are ignored as a result of the session supply and session rely stay unchanged, with the non-direct attribution modeling assigning no credit score to the direct supply.

Google Analytics updates Attribution Model for Paid Search in June 2024, addressing points the place conversions attributable to paid search had been generally mistakenly attributed to natural search, notably for single-page functions. The replace centered on capturing marketing campaign info related to the primary consumer occasion on every webpage.

The broader business context reveals attribution mechanics changing into more and more complicated as privateness laws, platform modifications, and business requirements reshape digital promoting infrastructure. Meta restricts attribution windows and data retention in Ads Insights API, eliminating two view-through attribution home windows and imposing strict historic information retention limits beginning January 12, 2026.

Martin Botťánek, a technical marketer with experience in Google Tag Supervisor, famous within the dialogue that even ChatGPT initially offered an accurate reply however required justification primarily based on supply documentation. He additionally talked about engaged on CSS for Google Adverts within the EU, the place many declare it offers a 20% low cost. LLMs initially wrote it is true, even hallucinating that Google mentioned this, however then admitted it is only a declare by some CSS used for advertising functions.

The ballot outcomes counsel widespread want for skilled improvement in analytics attribution mechanics. With 59% of 624 respondents choosing the inaccurate reply, together with people holding senior positions in analytics and promoting, the data hole extends throughout expertise ranges. The dialogue generated 75 reactions and 50 feedback, indicating important curiosity in clarifying these mechanics.

Wrodarczyk thanked Julius Fedorovicius for sharing the dialogue along with his viewers, noting the dialog would not have occurred with out that amplification. The ballot was tagged with #wwQUIZen, suggesting this represents a part of a sequence of academic quizzes Wrodarczyk conducts on analytics matters.

GA4 strengthens campaign measurement with Floodlight Linking introduced in June 2024, increasing linking capabilities to incorporate subproperties and roll-up properties for enhanced marketing campaign measurement throughout complicated enterprise buildings. The combination permits conversion sharing, marketing campaign insights, and improved attribution by way of numerous attribution fashions.

The technical specs documented within the Search Engine Land article emphasize that lookback window modifications don’t work retroactively, making use of solely from the second of the change. Engaged views of YouTube advertisements, nevertheless, all the time have three-day lookback home windows no matter property settings. This creates eventualities the place totally different interplay varieties have totally different attribution home windows concurrently.

The conversion export to Google Adverts has versatile choices vital to grasp. In GA4, conversions may be imported utilizing the attribution mannequin chosen in Google Adverts conversion settings. Moreover, entrepreneurs can select whether or not GA4 conversion export attributes conversions solely to Google Adverts or throughout all channels. Attributing solely to Google Adverts makes the conversion export just like native Google Adverts monitoring, with conversions attributed solely to Google Adverts clicks on the attribution path.

The mannequin comparability software in GA4’s Promoting part permits comparability of various attribution fashions no matter property-level attribution settings. At present accessible fashions match these in property settings, with no capacity to create customized fashions. GA4 permits reporting in two attribution time strategies: interplay time and key occasion time, every with distinct benefits and drawbacks for various evaluation wants.

Google publishes analytics reporting playbook for marketers in October 2025, addressing widespread confusion concerning the platform’s a number of reporting surfaces and their distinct capabilities. The useful resource gives detailed steerage on Reviews, Discover, Promoting, Knowledge API, and BigQuery export functionalities.

The information retention implications have an effect on how lengthy Google Analytics can bear in mind consumer information. Along with cookie expiration, GA4 has an information retention interval set by default to solely two months, although this may be modified to 14 months. After this time, Google deletes user-level information from Analytics servers. To maintain this information, it have to be exported to BigQuery. Within the unpaid model of GA4, first consumer supply information are deleted after 14 months of inactivity, after which the consumer might be recorded as a brand new consumer.

The dialogue members included professionals from numerous geographic places and firm varieties. Wajahat Mubashir, a senior internet developer, initially claimed GA4 doesn’t carry over the earlier session’s supply, however Wrodarczyk corrected this by noting that BigQuery’s session_traffic_source_last_click additionally works in final non-direct mode.

The verification methodology Wrodarczyk used included including “unique_key=test1” parameter to establish URLs of pages visited to make sure direct classes might be recognized in the event that they occurred. This parameter doesn’t affect the take a look at idea—the primary go to with UTM might be from any supply like Instagram, with following visits being direct URL typing.

Lookback home windows do not apply for first consumer supply within the sense of attribution window. First consumer supply stays unchanged for the complete consumer lifetime. The primary go to might be 4 months and even a number of years in the past, and the consumer can have the identical first consumer supply. Session attribution, nevertheless, works solely inside the lookback window of most 90 days, that means direct session supply is feasible for customers with totally different first consumer supply.

The sensible implications for entrepreneurs embody the necessity to perceive these attribution variations when analyzing marketing campaign efficiency. Last-touch returns amid new Google features examines how last-touch attribution represents one of the crucial easy strategies accessible to entrepreneurs, serving as the usual attribution choice in Google Analytics and most analytics instruments.

The confusion documented on this ballot reveals how technical documentation errors can propagate misunderstanding throughout the skilled group. When Google’s personal assist articles contradict precise platform habits, professionals who research documentation fastidiously may very well develop incorrect psychological fashions of how the system works. This creates a paradoxical state of affairs the place diligent analysis results in unsuitable conclusions.

Google Analytics tackles (not set) attribution with latest update on July 26, 2024, addressing a long-standing concern with the prevalence of (not set) attribution values in experiences. The replace focuses on dealing with robotically collected occasions, requiring customers to have both a config command or the Google tag put in on an online web page for these occasions to be despatched.

The broader measurement panorama continues evolving as platforms steadiness privateness necessities with attribution wants. Meta tests GA4 integration for cross-platform tracking in ads examines how the brand new GA4 integration function gives an alternate measurement pathway that operates independently of Meta’s native attribution methods.

Timeline

Abstract

Who: Advertising and analytics professionals responding to a LinkedIn ballot posted by Witold Wrodarczyk, CEO at Satisfactory and on-line advertising analytics specialist, with participation from business consultants together with Simo Ahava, Krista Seiden, Ben Luong, and Grant Higginson.

What: A ballot revealing that 59% of 624 promoting and analytics professionals incorrectly answered a query about Google Analytics 4 session attribution mechanics, particularly how the platform attributes direct visitors to earlier classes inside the 90-day lookback window utilizing final non-direct click on attribution mannequin.

When: The ballot was posted on December 9, 2024, with testing and verification performed between December 8-10, 2024, within the context of ongoing Google Analytics 4 attribution system modifications all through 2024-2025.

The place: The dialogue occurred on LinkedIn, involving Google Analytics 4 session attribution mechanics within the Site visitors Acquisition and Consumer Acquisition experiences, with technical verification performed by way of BigQuery information examination and UTM parameter testing.

Why: The confusion stems from Google’s personal documentation containing errors about session attribution habits, the complexity of GA4’s three-scope attribution system (consumer, session, and occasion), and the platform’s non-intuitive dealing with of direct visitors by way of final non-direct click on attribution inside lookback home windows that may lengthen as much as 90 days.