Table of Contents
Why attribution gaps increase as funnels get complex
The attribution expectation
Attribution is often expected to improve as funnels mature.
More tools. More tracking. More data.
In reality, the opposite happens.
As funnels become more complex, attribution gaps grow.
CBSplit was built to explain and manage this reality.
Simple funnels are easy to attribute
Early funnels are usually linear.
A visitor arrives. A page is viewed. A purchase happens.
Attribution is straightforward because:
- Few steps exist
- Few domains are involved
- Few systems participate
Basic trackers perform reasonably well here.
Modern funnels are distributed systems
Complex funnels are no longer single paths.
They involve:
- Multiple landing pages
- External checkout platforms
- Upsell and downsell chains
- Subscription rebills
- Retry and recovery flows
Each step introduces a new system and a new point of failure.
Attribution fragments accordingly.
Every redirect creates an attribution leak
Complex funnels rely heavily on redirects.
Redirects cause:
- Cookie loss
- Session resets
- Browser restrictions
- Cross-domain breaks
Each redirect increases the distance between the original click and the final outcome.
CBSplit assumes attribution will degrade and designs around it.
Server-side events arrive out of order
Payment systems do not report events instantly.
They send:
- Delayed callbacks
- Partial confirmations
- Retry notifications
- Asynchronous updates
Basic attribution models expect clean, ordered events.
Complex funnels produce messy timelines.
CBSplit reconciles outcomes instead of expecting sequence purity.
Retry logic multiplies attribution ambiguity
Retries blur causality.
Questions arise such as:
- Which attempt caused the success?
- Which offer actually converted?
- Which traffic source should get credit?
Basic trackers collapse these into a single guess.
CBSplit records the entire attempt history.
Upsells and subscriptions extend attribution beyond the click
Revenue often arrives long after the original click.
Through:
- Upsells
- Cross-sells
- Rebills
- Plan changes
Basic trackers struggle to connect long-tail revenue to its origin.
CBSplit links revenue across time using order and customer identity.
Complexity exposes the limits of pixel-based models
Pixel-based attribution assumes:
- Immediate outcomes
- Browser continuity
- Single-session journeys
Complex funnels violate all three.
CBSplit replaces pixel certainty with financial reconciliation.
Why attribution gaps are unavoidable
Attribution gaps increase because:
- Systems are distributed
- Outcomes are delayed
- User behavior is non-linear
- Payments are asynchronous
CBSplit does not attempt to eliminate gaps.
It makes them visible and manageable.