The Attribution Debate, Part 2: What Brands Are Getting Wrong About View Attribution

In Part 1 of our attribution series, we broke down the key differences between click attribution and view attribution—and why AdBeacon only tracks clicks. Now, in Part 2, we’re digging into what most brands and media buyers get wrong when it comes to interpreting ad performance through the lens of view-based attribution.

If you’re running social media ads across Meta, Pinterest, or TikTok—or optimizing eCommerce campaigns in general—this post is for you. It’s time to rethink what’s really fueling your conversions, and whether your reporting is leading you in the right direction.

The View Attribution Trap: 60% of Revenue... from Just a View?

Here’s a scenario pulled straight from real ad account audits: a brand sees nearly 60% of its attributed revenue coming from view-based attribution—specifically users who viewed an ad within 1 day of purchasing.

Sounds impressive, right? But here’s the issue:

There’s no way to prove that those viewers bought because of the ad.
You don’t have a click trail, a name, a session, or even an intent signal.
You’re assigning credit to activity that leaves no verifiable footprint.

Compare that to the remaining 40% of revenue coming from clicks within a 7-day window—actual engagement. Brands end up basing major ad spend decisions on the wrong 60% of their attribution data. This leads to overinflated ROAS, skewed campaign reports, and ultimately, misguided media buying strategies.

Limited Tracking = Limited Truth

Part of the problem isn’t even the platforms themselves. Meta, Google, and others are increasingly restricted by data privacy and security regulations, especially since iOS14.5. They’re operating with limited visibility—and so are you.

So when these platforms lean harder into view attribution, it’s not because it’s more accurate. It’s because they can’t track as much as they used to. The result? Media buyers are left with patchwork reporting that’s platform-biased and channel-specific, not a true representation of performance.

AdBeacon’s Channel-Agnostic Approach to Ad Attribution

At AdBeacon, we took a different path.

We start at the point of sale, not the platform’s pixel.
We use UTMs and first-party data to track every click, journey, and conversion independently of the platforms.
Our attribution is channel-agnostic—so you get a holistic, unbiased view of your performance across Meta, Google, TikTok, and more.

With this method, we regularly attribute more clicks than what platforms report themselves—because we’re not limited by their tracking capabilities. Instead, we work with what can be proven, and what media buyers actually need to optimize campaigns with confidence.

Why This Matters for Ad Optimization and Scaling

If your agency or brand is using view attribution to make decisions, you’re essentially guessing. And guessing is expensive.

When your attribution models are built on verifiable clicks and first-party insights, your decisions are backed by truth—not assumptions. This is the only way to:

Improve ad optimization across channels
Understand true customer acquisition cost (CAC)
Scale eCommerce ad campaigns profitably
Confidently report real ROAS to stakeholders

3 Key Takeaways for Media Buyers

View attribution is a black box. Every platform defines it differently, and none share their formulas.
You can’t prove it. You don’t know who viewed the ad or what actually influenced their behavior.
Click attribution is the only consistent, tangible, provable metric you can rely on.

So we’ll ask again:

Should you make ad spend decisions based on data you can’t verify? Or should you optimize with the data you know is real?

At AdBeacon, we believe the answer is clear—and we’ve built our entire platform around it.

Stay Tuned for Part 3…

In the next part of this series, we’ll dive deeper into the pitfalls of view attribution—including real-world examples of how it leads to misleading reporting and wasted budget.

Then, in Part 3, we’ll show how AdBeacon’s first-party click tracking powers smarter, more profitable ad campaigns—especially when it comes to Facebook and Instagram ad optimization.

Watch The Video That Inspired This Post

Ready to stop guessing and start scaling with confidence?
👉 Book a demo with AdBeacon and discover why leading agencies and media buyers are switching to our click-only attribution model for better performance and more reliable insights.