Optimize on clicks that actually sold.
AdBeacon gives ecommerce media buyers click-only, first-party attribution for every ad, ad set and campaign. Compare platform ROAS to what really converted in the store, switch attribution models in one click, and scale or pause without leaving the dashboard.
- Built by media buyers
- Lookback windows up to 180 days
- 4.8 out of 5 on G2
- Meta, Google, TikTok, Amazon and more
What is click-only attribution, and why do media buyers use it?
Click-only attribution credits a sale only to ads that someone actually clicked before buying, and ignores view-through conversions where a person saw an ad but never interacted with it. Attribution software for media buyers, like AdBeacon, matches those clicks to real orders in the store’s own data, so a buyer can see first-party ROAS for every ad, ad set and campaign next to the number each ad platform reports.
A click is a recorded action. A view can be a half-second scroll.
Meta, Google, TikTok and Amazon are all measured against the same store orders, so cross-channel comparisons are fair.
AdBeacon shows platform-reported and first-party ROAS side by side. You keep the context and decide on the verified number.
Platform ROAS vs first-party ROAS
Platform ROAS is the return each ad platform calculates for itself, using its own conversion window, its own definition of a view and, in some cases, modeled conversions. First-party ROAS is revenue from orders recorded in your store that can be tied to a real ad click, divided by spend. The two numbers answer different questions. Platform ROAS tells you what the algorithm thinks it did. First-party ROAS tells you what actually got paid for.
Why doesn’t Meta Ads Manager match Shopify?
Meta Ads Manager and your store count sales differently. Meta credits conversions inside its own attribution window, can include people who viewed an ad without clicking, and may report modeled conversions when it can’t observe a purchase directly. Your store only records orders that happened. When Google, TikTok and email also claim the same orders, platform totals add up to more revenue than the store made. The fix is to judge every channel against the store’s own orders, using real clicks.
Which attribution model should a media buyer use?
There’s no single right model. Each one answers a different question, and the best media buyers switch between them. First click shows what starts the journey, last click shows what closes it, the linear models show how credit is shared across every touchpoint, every ad click or paid clicks only, full impact shows every channel that touched the sale, and an optimization model shows how a single platform performed on its own terms. AdBeacon lets you switch between all seven in one click, on the same first-party data, with lookback windows up to 180 days.
First click. All credit goes to the first ad click in the customer’s path. Use it to find the ads and channels that introduce new customers.
Last click. All credit goes to the final ad click before purchase. Use it to see what closes the sale, while watching for retargeting and branded search taking credit.
Linear. Credit is split evenly across every touchpoint in the path, including direct visits. Use it for the widest view of everything that played a part in the sale.
Linear excl. direct. Credit is split evenly across every ad click in the path, ignoring direct visits. Use it for a fair, all-channel view of who contributed.
Paid linear. Credit is split evenly across paid ad clicks only, leaving out email, organic and direct visits. Use it to see how your paid channels share the work and where budget is earning its keep.
Full impact. Every click in the path gets full credit for the sale, so totals add up to more than the order. Use it to see every ad and channel that touched a purchase, not to add up revenue.
Lighthouse. AdBeacon’s optimization model. It credits only the clicks from the platform you’re optimizing, split evenly between them. If a customer clicked two Meta ads, one Google ad and one email before buying, each Meta click gets 50% when you’re optimizing Meta. Use it to grade each platform fairly against its own self-reported ROAS.
Many platforms default to 7-day windows. Considered purchases often take longer. AdBeacon looks back up to 180 days.
The seven attribution models, defined
- First click
- All credit goes to the first ad click in the customer’s path. Use it to find the ads and channels that introduce new customers.
- Last click
- All credit goes to the final ad click before purchase. Use it to see what closes the sale, while watching for retargeting and branded search taking credit.
- Linear
- Credit is split evenly across every touchpoint in the path, including direct visits. Use it for the widest view of everything that played a part in the sale.
- Linear excluding direct
- Credit is split evenly across every ad click in the path, ignoring direct visits. Use it for a fair, all-channel view of who contributed.
- Paid linear
- Credit is split evenly across paid ad clicks only, leaving out email, organic and direct visits. Use it to see how your paid channels share the work and where budget is earning its keep.
- Full impact
- Every click in the path gets full credit for the sale, so totals add up to more than the order. Use it to see every ad and channel that touched a purchase, not to add up revenue.
- Lighthouse
- AdBeacon’s optimization model. It credits only the clicks from the platform you’re optimizing, split evenly between them. If a customer clicked two Meta ads, one Google ad and one email before buying, each Meta click gets 50% when you’re optimizing Meta. Use it to grade each platform fairly against its own self-reported ROAS.
From morning check to budget change, in one place.
Pick a step to see how media buyers use AdBeacon every day.
Morning check: what changed overnight?
Luma flags what moved while you were offline: CPA spikes, ROAS drops, spend pacing and budget-limited winners, all on first-party data. You start the day with a short list, not a blank dashboard.
What’s included
- Daily anomaly alerts from Luma
- Goal pacing for ROAS, CAC and revenue
- Platform and first-party numbers side by side
Find the real winners
Sort every ad, ad set and campaign by first-party ROAS, new customer revenue or CAC. Spot ads that look average in Ads Manager but drive the most new customers in the store.
What’s included
- Ad-level first-party ROAS and CAC
- New vs returning revenue by ad
- Filter by channel, campaign or creative type
Cut what’s over-credited
Find the ads whose platform ROAS looks great but whose first-party ROAS doesn’t hold up, especially retargeting and branded search. Pause or trim them from inside AdBeacon.
What’s included
- Platform vs first-party ROAS gap by ad
- Returning-customer share by campaign
- In-platform pausing and budget changes
Refresh creative before it fatigues
See which hooks, formats and messages actually sell on first-party data, and catch fatigue early.
What’s included
- Creative dashboard ranked on first-party revenue and ROAS
- Fatigue alerts from Luma
- Format and hook comparisons
Static offer ads are fading on first-party ROAS while spend holds steady. Time to refresh.
Build audiences from real buyers
Turn your best first-party customers into audiences and sync them to your ad platforms, from repeat buyers to high-value RFM segments.
What’s included
- Custom audience builder on first-party data
- RFM segments synced to ad platforms
- Win-back and lookalike seed lists
The algorithm grades its own homework. You deserve a second opinion.
Connect your store and ad accounts in as little as 15 minutes, with hands-on help from our team.
How do I know which ad creatives are actually selling?
Rank creatives on revenue from real store orders, not on platform-reported conversions or engagement. A creative that gets clicks and comments but few first-party orders is entertaining, not selling. AdBeacon’s creative dashboard ranks every creative on first-party revenue, ROAS, CPA and new customers, compares hooks and formats side by side, and flags fatigue before it drags results.
Every creative ranked on first-party revenue and ROAS.
Hover for detailsFilter by platform, format or campaign, and sort by new customer revenue to find the ads that actually grow the customer base.
UGC vs static, founder story vs offer, short vs long.
Hover for detailsCompare concepts on first-party ROAS and CPA instead of thumb-stop rate alone.
Custom AI agents and Luma pinpoint winning creative patterns.
Hover for detailsAsk “what do my top 10 new-customer ads have in common?” and get a plain-language answer.
An AI analyst that reads your first-party data, not the platform’s.
AI recommendations are only as good as the data behind them. Most AI tools inside ad platforms optimize to the same self-reported conversions that overstate performance. Luma, AdBeacon’s built-in AI, works from click-only, first-party attribution, so when it tells you to scale or cut, it’s working from orders that actually happened.
Want to work in your own tools?
The AdBeacon MCP Server and API connect your first-party attribution data to AI assistants like Claude, so you can build your own analysis, reports and workflows on numbers you trust.
What can I do with the AdBeacon MCP Server?
Connect AdBeacon to an AI assistant and ask questions across your whole account, build weekly performance summaries, draft client or leadership reports, or combine first-party attribution with your own notes and spreadsheets. The difference from other MCP offerings: AdBeacon passes through click-only, first-party data rather than platform-blended numbers.
Two Meta retargeting ad sets are over-credited: 4.1x platform ROAS vs 1.6x first-party, and 82% of their orders are repeat buyers. Pause or trim both.
Google Shopping for Sofas returns 2.9x first-party ROAS and is limited by budget. Raise it 15% and check CAC daily.
UGC unboxing videos drive 61% of new-customer revenue from Meta this month. Static offer ads skew to returning customers.
Meta reports 3.8x. First-party Lighthouse ROAS is 2.4x. The gap is mostly view-through and retargeting.
$ adbeacon.query("roas", model="lighthouse")
→ first_party_roas: 2.4
→ platform_roas: 3.8One attribution standard for Meta, Google, TikTok, Amazon and every channel you run.
Most buyers manage more than one platform, and every platform grades itself differently. AdBeacon measures them all against the same store orders and the same click-only rules, so you can compare channels fairly and move budget between them with confidence.
Meta
New vs returning by ad set, Lighthouse ROAS vs Meta-reported ROAS.
Meta attributionGoogle Ads
Shopping and search clicks matched to store orders.
Google Ads attributionTikTok
Clicks only, matched to orders, with view-based credit left out.
Amazon Ads
Amazon ad performance in the same view.
Amazon Ads attributionMicrosoft, Pinterest and Snapchat
Smaller channels measured on the same terms, so you know if they deserve more budget.
Klaviyo and GA4
Email clicks and GA4 data alongside paid, so retention and analytics sit in the same picture.
What media buyers did with first-party data.
90-day, channel-level results from AdBeacon brand accounts. Pick a channel.
Results from individual brand accounts over 90 days, many managed with an agency partner. Results depend on your campaigns and strategy. See all case studies
What media buyers say
“Get on this. The most responsive product team + a media buyer that actually knows what she’s doing built the platform.”
“I really like being able to switch between attribution models, and I appreciate that all the data is first-party.”
“We’re using it internally to build audiences, make optimizations, make really smart decisions.”
Need a yes from your founder or marketing lead?
Media buyers usually find AdBeacon first, and someone else signs off. Here’s the short version for them: every feature on every plan from $299/mo (or $239/mo on Annual Anchor), a 30-day free trial, and simple setup with hands-on help. Start the trial, show them the platform-vs-first-party gap on your own account, and let the numbers make the case.
Built for ecommerce media buyers.
The short answer, in one paragraph
AdBeacon is built for media buyers and paid media teams at ecommerce brands on Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce or a custom store, spending roughly $10,000 or more per month across channels like Meta, Google, TikTok and Amazon. It isn’t built for lead generation or local service campaigns.
Great fit
- In-house media buyers and paid media teams at ecommerce brands
- Spending $10k+ a month across Meta, Google, TikTok or Amazon
- On Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce or a custom store
- Ready to act on first-party data, not just report it
Not the right fit
- Lead generation or local service campaigns
- B2B without online checkout
- Under about $10k a month in ad spend
Running ads for clients? See AdBeacon for agencies
AdBeacon for media buyers: FAQ
What is attribution software for media buyers?
It’s software that shows which ads, ad sets and campaigns lead to real orders, so a media buyer can optimize spend. AdBeacon uses click-only, first-party attribution: every attributed order ties back to a real ad click and the store’s own order record, shown next to each platform’s reported numbers.
Should I optimize to platform ROAS or first-party ROAS?
Use platform ROAS for context and in-platform signals, and make budget decisions on first-party ROAS. Platform numbers include each platform’s own window and view-through credit; first-party ROAS reflects orders that happened in your store after a real click.
Which attribution model should I use for day-to-day optimization?
For grading a single platform, use Lighthouse: it credits only that platform’s clicks, so you can compare it fairly with its own reported ROAS. Use first click to find what introduces new customers, last click to see what closes, linear or linear excluding direct for an all-channel view, paid linear to see how your paid channels share credit, and full impact to see every channel that touched a sale.
How long should my attribution lookback window be?
Long enough to cover how long your customers usually take to buy. Impulse purchases may close within days, while higher-priced products can take weeks. AdBeacon supports lookback windows up to 180 days so you can match the window to your buying cycle.
Does AdBeacon count view-through conversions?
No. AdBeacon credits only real ad clicks matched to store orders. You can still see each platform’s own reported numbers, which may include view-through, side by side.
Can I make changes to campaigns inside AdBeacon?
Yes. You can adjust budgets and pause ads without leaving AdBeacon, so you can act on first-party data right away.
How do I know when a creative is fatigued?
Watch first-party ROAS and CPA on the creative over time, not just frequency or CTR. When first-party ROAS falls while spend holds steady, the creative is losing its ability to sell. AdBeacon’s creative dashboard and Luma alerts flag this early.
Will AdBeacon match Meta Ads Manager?
No, and it isn’t meant to. Meta reports on its own performance using its own rules. AdBeacon shows Meta’s numbers next to first-party numbers so you can see the difference and understand it.
Which ad platforms does AdBeacon connect to?
Meta, Google Ads, TikTok, Microsoft Ads, Pinterest, Snapchat and Amazon Ads, plus Klaviyo, GA4 and Recharge (beta). Reddit Ads and ChatGPT Ads are coming soon.
Can I use AdBeacon data in Claude or other AI tools?
Yes. The AdBeacon MCP Server and API connect your first-party attribution data to AI assistants, and Luma, AdBeacon’s built-in AI, answers questions inside the platform.
How much does AdBeacon cost?
Brand plans start at $299/mo billed monthly with a 30-day free trial, or $239/mo on the 12-month Annual Anchor plan. Every feature is included on every plan.
I work at an agency. Is there a version for me?
Yes. Agencies get flat-rate pricing per brand, unlimited seats and white-label reporting. See AdBeacon for agencies.
More for media buyers.
Multi-Touch Attribution for Ecommerce: A Plain-English Guide
How multi-touch attribution works, and how to choose the right model for your store.
Read the article
Ecommerce Ad Spend Optimization: A Practical Framework
A step-by-step framework for moving budget to what really drives profit.
Read the article
What Is Google Meridian MMM?
A plain-language guide to Google’s open-source marketing mix model.
Read the articleStop optimizing to the platform’s opinion. Start optimizing to real orders.
Try every AdBeacon feature free for 30 days, or book a demo and see your own ad sets on first-party data.