Understanding Revenue Attribution in AfterShip Dashboards
Overview
This article explains how AfterShip tracks and attributes revenue, helping you understand your dashboard metrics and make informed, data-driven decisions to boost sales.
What you'll learn
- How AfterShip attributes revenue
- What's included in revenue calculations
- AfterShip on-site and off-site features
- How attribution works: real examples
- Multi-touch attribution explained
- Data updates and historical data
- FAQs
How AfterShip attributes revenue
AfterShip uses two different attribution models depending on where customer interactions occur:
1. On-site attribution (1-day window)
When a customer interacts with an AfterShip scenario on your website (e.g., clicking a product recommendation via the Personalization collection to add a product to their cart):
- A 1-day attribution window begins.
- Only the specific product the customer interacted with is attributed.
- Revenue is attributed if the purchase occurs within 24 hours of the interaction.
2. Off-site attribution (5-day window)
When a customer interacts with an AfterShip scenario outside your store (e.g., clicking a tracking email marketing asset or a product collection on the tracking page to enter your site):
- A 5-day attribution window begins.
- All products in any order placed within this window are attributed.
- The entire order value is credited to the AfterShip touchpoint.
Note:
For orders created after August 5, 2025:
* Tracking email clicks: 5-day window
* Tracking page clicks: 5-day window
For orders created before August 5, 2025:
* Tracking email clicks: 3-day window
* Tracking page clicks: 3-day window
What's included in revenue calculations
Component | Included in Revenue? | Details |
|---|---|---|
Product Price | ✓ Yes | Base product price |
Discounts | ✓ Yes (deducted) | Final price after discounts is used |
Refunds | ✗ No | Refunded orders remain in attribution data |
Taxes | ✗ No | Not included in revenue calculations |
Shipping Fees | ✗ No | Not included in revenue calculations |
Subscriptions | ✓ Yes (with limitations) | • On-site: All subscription payments |
|
| • Off-site: Initial payment only |
AfterShip on-site and off-site features
Type | Product | Scenario |
|---|---|---|
On-site | AfterShip Personalization | Home page recommendations |
|
| Product page recommendations |
|
| Cart and cart popup recommendations |
|
| Checkout recommendations |
|
| Post-purchase and thank-you page recommendations |
Off-site | AfterShip Tracking | Branded tracking page clicks |
|
| Tracking email notification clicks |
How attribution works: real examples
Example 1: On-site product recommendation (Successful attribution)
- Day 1, 2:00 PM: A customer clicks a product in a Personalization widget on your homepage.
- Day 1, 5:30 PM: The customer purchases that specific product (within the 24-hour window).
- Result: Revenue from that product is attributed to AfterShip Personalization.
Example 2: Off-site tracking page visit (Successful attribution)
- Day 1: A customer clicks a marketing link on your Branded Tracking Page (BTP) to visit your store.
- Day 3: The customer returns directly and makes a $120 purchase (within the 5-day window).
- Result: The entire $120 is attributed to AfterShip Tracking.
Example 3: Off-site attribution window expiration
- Day 1: A customer clicks a link in a tracking email to visit your store.
- Day 7: The customer returns and makes a purchase.
- Result: The purchase is not attributed to AfterShip, as the 5-day attribution window has expired.
Multi-touch attribution explained
AfterShip uses a multi-touch attribution model. This means that if multiple AfterShip features contribute to a sale, each one receives credit. However, the order is counted only once in summary totals to avoid double-counting.
Example: Cross-scenario attribution
- Day 1: A customer clicks a product recommendation in a tracking email.
- Day 2: The same customer clicks a navigation element on your Branded Tracking Page (BTP).
- Day 3: The customer places a $150 order.
- Result:
a. The full $150 is attributed to both the Email and BTP scenarios.
b. The order is counted only once in the overall AfterShip Tracking total.
Example: Cross-product attribution
- Day 1: A customer adds "Product A" to their cart via a Personalization recommendation.
- Day 2: The same customer enters your store via a tracking email.
- Day 3: The customer completes the purchase, including Product A.
- Result:
a. The revenue is attributed to both Personalization and Tracking Email.
b. The order is counted only once in the overall AfterShip revenue total.
Data updates and historical data
Data Type | Update Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
On-site Events | Real-time | Interactions update instantly in dashboards |
Off-site Events | Next day (T+1) | Email and tracking page data update daily |
Currency Display | Organization level: USD |
|
| Store level: Store currency | Exchange rates are captured as point-in-time snapshots |
Historical Data | Limited for new metrics | Section-level breakdowns are only available for orders after Aug 5, 2025 |
| Limited Time | The Revenue Insights dashboard currently displays revenue data from 2025 onward only |
FAQs
1. Why is one order attributed to multiple scenarios in my dashboard?
Our multi-touch attribution model credits all touchpoints that influenced a purchase. This gives a more complete view of what drives conversions while ensuring each order is counted only once in summary totals.
2. Will my historical data show the new section-level breakdowns?
No. These breakdowns apply only to orders placed after August 5, 2025. Earlier data will still show product and scenario attribution but without this level of detail.
3. How quickly will I see new orders in my dashboard?
On-site interactions appear in real-time. Off-site interactions (emails and tracking pages) appear the following day.
4. Do you attribute the full order value if a customer clicks on just one product?
It depends on the interaction type:
- On-site: No — only the value of the specific product clicked is attributed.
- Off-site: Yes — the entire order value is attributed because the journey began with an AfterShip touchpoint.
5. How far back can I view revenue data in the dashboard?
The Revenue Insights dashboard currently displays data from 2025 onward.
Updated on: 06/08/2025