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Best practices and known limitations of MTA

Learn some of the best practices to use MTA and understand how to work around its limitations.

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Written by Sowjenya Parthasarathy
Updated yesterday

Multi-touch attribution (MTA) is most effective when used in environments where accurate, event-level tracking is possible. You should rely on MTA when:

  • You need granular insights at the channel or campaign level

  • You want to understand the relative value of touchpoints across the customer journey

  • You have a robust tracking setup that captures clicks and conversions consistently

  • You are optimizing mid- and lower-funnel campaigns where digital engagement is measurable

MTA works well when paired with platforms that support conversion imports and allow custom data to influence bidding and budget decisions.

When to complement MTA with other models

MTA is one part of Funnel’s broader measurement framework. To avoid making decisions based on incomplete data, combine MTA with:

  • Marketing mix modeling (MMM) for measuring upper-funnel and offline channel performance

  • Incrementality testing to validate causality and assess true campaign lift

  • Platform-level attribution for tracking impression-based channels that MTA may not fully capture

This triangulated approach improves confidence in your marketing insights by leveraging multiple perspectives.

Known limitations in MTA

Despite its strengths, MTA has limitations that may affect accuracy:

  • View-based channels, such as display prospecting or TV, often go underrepresented if impressions are not tracked

  • Cross-device behavior can be difficult to link without deterministic identifiers such as hashed emails

  • Opt-out users and privacy regulations may prevent full journey capture, introducing bias into the model

  • Offline actions, like in-store purchases, are not directly measurable unless matched via CRM or point-of-sale data

Funnel’s attribution models include extrapolation methods to partially address these gaps, but some blind spots may still remain.

Making the most of MTA

To get the best results from MTA:

  • Use server-side tracking and high-quality user identifiers.

  • Feed MTA insights back into media platforms for smarter optimization.

  • Combine MTA results with MMM and testing outcomes during strategic planning.

  • Treat attribution weights as indicators, not absolutes, contextual interpretation is essential.

Understanding where MTA excels and where it needs support ensures that your measurement framework delivers accurate, actionable results.

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