Position-Based Attribution
Position-based attribution, also called U-shaped attribution, gives the most credit to the first and last touchpoints and divides the rest among the middle interactions.
In depth
Position-based attribution typically assigns 40% of the conversion to the first touch, 40% to the last touch, and spreads the remaining 20% evenly across everything in between. It works by classifying each touchpoint by its position in the path and applying these fixed weights, which encodes a belief that introducing a buyer and closing a buyer are the two hardest, most valuable jobs. This makes it popular with teams that want to credit demand creation and demand capture without writing off the nurturing steps entirely.
The common pitfall is that the 40-20-40 split is an assumption, not a measurement, and it can misfire on journeys where a middle touchpoint, such as a pivotal product demo, did the real persuading. In a quiz-funnel and lead-qualification workflow, position-based attribution neatly rewards the first ad that drove the visit and the scorecard quiz or result page that captured the lead, making it a strong default when both ends of the funnel deserve recognition but you still want middle stages to count.
Example in practice
Frequently asked questions
Why is position-based attribution called U-shaped?
Because the credit forms a U when plotted across the journey, peaking at the first and last touchpoints and dipping in the middle. The standard split is 40% first, 40% last, and 20% shared by the rest.
When does position-based attribution work best?
It fits journeys where both creating the lead and closing it are clearly the most decisive moments. It is a strong default when you want to value demand creation and capture without ignoring nurturing entirely.
Can I change the 40-20-40 weighting?
Yes, most tools let you adjust the first and last weights, for example to 30-40-30 if closing matters more. Remember the split is an assumption, so tune it to match how your real buyers actually convert.