How to Change Attribution Models in Google Analytics 4

Choosing the right attribution model in Google Analytics 4 can feel like a high-stakes decision, but it’s really just about giving credit where credit is due. Unlike its predecessor, GA4 defaults to a smarter, data-driven approach, but understanding your other options gives you the power to view your marketing performance through different lenses. This guide will walk you through exactly how and why to change your attribution model in GA4, and show you a way to compare models without touching your default settings.

What Changed with Attribution in Google Analytics 4?

In the days of Universal Analytics, most reports defaulted to a "last non-direct click" model. This meant the last channel a user clicked from before converting (as long as it wasn't a direct visit) got 100% of the credit. It was simple, but it often gave all the glory to channels at the bottom of the funnel, like a branded search or a final email click, while ignoring the blog posts, social media updates, and initial ads that started the customer's journey.

GA4 shook things up by making Data-Driven Attribution (DDA) the default. This model uses machine learning to analyze the conversion paths of both converting and non-converting users, determining how much a touchpoint actually contributed to a conversion. Think of it like a sports team: last-click only gives credit to the player who scored the goal. Data-driven attribution credits the player who scored but also gives some credit to the player who made the assist, and even the defender who started the successful play.

The Main Attribution Models Available in GA4

Before changing anything, it’s helpful to understand the lineup of models you can choose from. They fall into two main categories: rules-based models and the AI-powered data-driven model.

• Data-Driven (Default): This model uses your account's specific data to create a custom model. It learns which touchpoints are most influential in driving conversions and distributes credit accordingly. It’s the most sophisticated option, assuming you have enough data for it to work effectively.
• Cross-channel Last Click: The classic. It gives 100% of the conversion credit to the very last channel the user clicked through before converting. It completely ignores everything that came before.
• Cross-channel First Click: The opposite of last click. This model gives 100% of the conversion credit to the first channel the user ever interacted with. It’s great for understanding which channels are best at generating initial awareness.
• Linear: The "everyone gets a trophy" model. It gives equal credit to every single touchpoint in the conversion path. If a user visited via an ad, then a social link, then an email, each of those three channels would get 33.3% of the credit.
• Position-Based: A hybrid model that gives 40% of the credit to the first touchpoint, 40% to the last touchpoint, and splits the remaining 20% evenly among any touchpoints in the middle. It values the channels that start and finish the journey the most.
• Time Decay: This model gives more credit to touchpoints that happened closer in time to the conversion. A click from one day ago gets more credit than a click from a week ago.

Why Would You Change Your Attribution Model?

While Data-Driven is the recommended default, it's not always the best lens for every single question you have. Different models highlight different parts of the customer journey, and changing your view can reveal valuable insights.

Here are a few scenarios where switching models makes sense:

• Your Goal is Brand Awareness: If you're running a top-of-funnel campaign to introduce your brand to a new audience, the First Click model is your best friend. It shows you exactly which channels excel at kicking off the customer journey. You’re less concerned with what closed the sale and more with what got your foot in the door.
• You Have a Short Sales Cycle: For low-cost, impulse buys (like ordering a pizza or buying a concert ticket), the journey is often very short. A user sees an ad and buys. In this case, the Last Click model can be perfectly adequate because the middle of the funnel is almost non-existent.
• You Treat All Touchpoints as Important: If you believe every interaction a customer has with your brand - from the first blog post they read to the retargeting ad they see and the final promotional email they click - is equally valuable in nurturing the relationship, the Linear model reflects that philosophy.
• You Are Launching a "Closing" Campaign: Let's say you're running a big "last chance" discount campaign. You might temporarily switch your view to the Time Decay or Last Click model to see how effective that final push is at driving conversions.

How to Change Your Attribution Model in GA4: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you've decided the default setting isn't right for your primary reporting, you can change it at the property level. A very important note: changing this setting is not retroactive for most of your standard reports. It will only apply to data from that point forward. That’s why it’s best to be sure before you switch.

Step 1: Navigate to Admin Settings

Click the "Admin" gear icon in the bottom-left corner of your Google Analytics 4 screen.

Step 2: Access Attribution Settings

Make sure you have the correct account and property selected. In the "Property" column, scroll down until you see "Attribution Settings" under the Data display section. Click on it.

Step 3: Select Your New Reporting Attribution Model

Here you'll see a dropdown menu for the "Reporting attribution model." Click it to see the list of available models we discussed earlier. Simply select the one you want to use as your new default for future reporting.

Step 4: Review Your Lookback Windows

While you're here, you can also adjust the "lookback windows." A lookback window is the period of time before a conversion in which a touchpoint is eligible for credit.

• Acquisition conversion events (first_open and first_visit): The default is 30 days. This means for a user to be counted as a new acquisition from a certain channel, their first visit must have happened within the last 30 days.
• All other conversion events: The default for purchase-related events is 90 days. For most businesses, this is plenty. However, if you have a very long sales cycle (e.g., B2B enterprise software, luxury real estate), you might consider extending this.

Step 5: Save Your Changes

Once you’ve selected your new model and confirmed your lookback windows, just click the "Save" button at the bottom. That's it! Your GA4 property will now use this model for crediting conversions in your reports going forward.

How to Compare Attribution Models (Without Permanently Changing Anything)

Perhaps the most useful feature in GA4's attribution suite is the ability to compare models side-by-side without changing your property's default settings. This is the perfect way to explore your data before committing to a permanent change.

You’ll find these reports in the "Advertising" section on the left-hand navigation menu.

1. Click on Advertising in the left sidebar.
2. Under the Attribution heading, click on Model comparison.
3. On this report, you’ll see your conversions and revenue data. On the left, there are two dropdown menus where you can select any of the attribution models.

By selecting different models - for example, "Cross-channel first click" in one and "Cross-channel last click" in the other - you can directly compare how credit would shift between channels. You'll quickly see which channels excel at opening conversations versus closing them. This is the safest and most insightful way to analyze attribution in GA4.

Practical Tips for Choosing the Right Model

Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Here are a few simple tips to guide you.

• Match the model to your common customer journey: Is your sales process more like a quick sprint or a long marathon? Match your model logic to that reality. Short cycles can use Last Click, longer, more complex journeys benefit from Linear, Position-Based, or Data-Driven.
• When in doubt, stick with the default (and use the comparison reports): Google made Data-Driven the default for a reason. For most businesses, it provides the most balanced and intelligent view. Instead of changing the default, make it a habit to visit the Model comparison report whenever you have questions.
• Pick a model and stick with it: Consistency is important. If you change your default attribution model every month, your year-over-year data will become confusing and unreliable. Choose a model that aligns with your business goals and give it at least a full quarter to see how it works for you.

Final Thoughts

Mastering attribution in Google Analytics 4 means you can finally start answering which marketing efforts are really paying off. Whether you decide to change your property's default settings or simply rely on the Advertising workspace to compare models, you now have the tools to get a more complete picture of how customers find and convert on your site.

While getting a handle on GA4 is powerful, true business insight comes from seeing the whole story across all your platforms – from the first ad click on Facebook to the purchase in Shopify and the deal closing in Salesforce. As you've seen, even working inside one platform requires toggling settings and navigating complex reports. With Graphed, we handle that complexity for you. By connecting all your tools in one place, we allow you to ask simple questions in plain English - like "Which campaigns had the best ROI last quarter?" - and get instant, unified dashboards without ever needing to worry about which attribution model to choose.