What is First Touch?
First Touch (aka first-click attribution) is an Attribution Model that assigns 100% of the credit for a Conversion to the first recorded interaction in the customer journey—e.g., the first Campaign click, initial Referrer, or tagged visit via UTM parameters. It’s used to evaluate how well acquisition channels initiate demand at the top of the funnel.
How First Touch attribution works
- The platform (GA4, Plausible, Matomo, Simple Analytics, etc.) identifies a user on the first visit (see First Visit) using a browser identifier such as a Client ID stored in a First-Party Cookie.
- The earliest eligible interaction within the lookback window becomes the first touch.
- When a Conversion happens later (same Session or weeks after), all credit goes to that original Source / medium or campaign.
Typical “first touches” include an Organic Search click, a social ad, or a newsletter link. In event-based tools, it’s often tied to the user’s first attributed Pageview or landing session.
When to use it
- Top-of-funnel channel evaluation. Great for discovering which campaigns create new demand.
- Budgeting for awareness. If brand campaigns start journeys that close later, First Touch keeps them visible.
- Simple reporting. Easy to explain to stakeholders who want a one-number read.
Limitations and gotchas
- Ignores mid-/bottom-funnel assists. Retargeting, email nurtures, and product pages get 0% credit (compare with Last Touch or other models under Attribution).
- Identity breaks. Cookie consent changes, ITP, browser resets, and device switching can lose the true first interaction, reassigning credit.
- Brand/direct bias over time. If the first touch is untracked (no UTM), platforms may default it or miss it, skewing ROI analysis.
- Macro vs. micro outcomes. Consider separate models for Micro-Conversion vs. Macro-Conversion to avoid over-crediting early touches for small events.