ROAS and Attribution: Define the Number First

Two agencies can report different ROAS for the same revenue and both be mathematically correct. The missing information is usually the definition.

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Platform-reported ROAS

The advertising platform attributes conversion value according to its own event data and window. It is useful for in-platform optimisation, but multiple platforms may claim the same sale and privacy or tracking loss may omit others.

Blended ROAS

Total recognised revenue divided by total media spend for the same period. This provides a business-level view but includes revenue that may have happened without advertising and can be distorted by seasonality, repeat purchase or channel mix.

Contribution and profit

Revenue is not profit. A commercially useful target considers gross margin, discount, fulfilment, returns, payment fees, agency fees and repeat purchase. The acceptable ROAS for one business may be impossible or insufficient for another.

Attribution window

A seven-day click window and a one-day click window answer different questions. View-through attribution adds another layer. Always publish the window next to the result.

Incrementality

The hardest question is what would have happened without the campaign. Holdouts, geo tests, lift studies and time-series methods can help, but each has assumptions. Do not call attribution causation merely because a dashboard drew a line.

Minimum publication record

• Data source and export owner.
• Date range and currency.
• Spend included.
• Revenue or conversion definition.
• Attribution window.
• Refund, tax and offline-sales treatment.
• Whether the number is platform, blended or incremental.
• Permission to publish.