Attribution models are crucial in digital advertising because they help marketers understand how different touchpoints in the customer journey contribute to a conversion (like a sale or a lead). The "First Click" model is one specific way to assign this credit.

While Pinterest used to emphasize a "First Click" attribution model or at least a model that heavily weighted early interactions, it's important to note that Pinterest's attribution approach has evolved, and it offers more nuanced options now.

Let's break down the general concept of a First Click model and how it relates to Pinterest Ads:

Understanding the First Click Attribution Model
In a First Click (or First Interaction) attribution model, 100% of the credit for a conversion is given to the very first interaction a user has with any of your marketing efforts before converting.

How it works:

Imagine a customer journey like this:

Day 1: User sees your Pinterest Ad (first interaction).

Day 3: User clicks on a Google Search Ad for your brand.

Day 5: User sees your Facebook Retargeting Ad.

Day 7: User directly types your website URL and makes a purchase (conversion).

Under a pure First Click model, the Pinterest Ad on Day 1 would receive 100% of the credit for that conversion, even though other interactions occurred later.

When it's useful:

Awareness Campaigns: This model is particularly useful for measuring the effectiveness of campaigns focused on brand awareness and introducing new customers to your brand or products. If your goal is to get your brand discovered, the first interaction is highly valuable.

Top-of-Funnel Analysis: It helps you understand which channels or ads are best at initiating the customer journey.

Longer Sales Cycles: For products with a longer consideration phase, the initial exposure can be very influential, even if conversion happens much later.

Limitations:

Ignores Mid- and Bottom-Funnel: The biggest drawback is that it completely ignores all subsequent interactions that might have nurtured the lead or directly led to the conversion. It doesn't give credit to efforts that move users further down the sales funnel.

Incomplete Picture: It doesn't provide a holistic view of the entire customer journey, which can lead to misallocation of budget if you only optimize for first clicks.

Pinterest Ads and Attribution
Pinterest is unique because it's a visual discovery engine. Users often use it for planning and inspiration, meaning their path to purchase can be longer and involve multiple touchpoints, including simply viewing a Pin without clicking.

While past discussions mentioned Pinterest heavily favoring a "first click" or "first engagement" model due to its discovery nature, the platform has evolved to offer more comprehensive attribution options.

Pinterest's Current Attribution Windows (as of mid-2025):

Pinterest's attribution system tracks user interactions and matches them with subsequent actions within a set timeframe, known as the attribution window. As of recent updates (April 1, 2025, according to Supermetrics), Pinterest has been aligning its conversion reporting more closely with industry standards, removing the "Engagement" part of the attribution window and focusing on "Clicks" and "Views."

Pinterest allows you to select various attribution windows for different interaction types:

Click-Through Conversions: These are conversions that occur after a user clicks on your ad. You can typically set attribution windows like 1-day, 7-day, 14-day, 30-day, or 60-day.

View-Through Conversions: These are conversions that occur after a user views your ad but does not click on it. Pinterest emphasizes the importance of views, recognizing that just seeing a Pin can influence future actions. Common view-through windows are 1-day, 7-day, 14-day, 30-day, or 60-day.

How Pinterest Assigns Credit (Default Behavior):

Pinterest will attribute conversions based on the strongest action within the selected attribution window. So, if a user clicked on an ad, that conversion will likely be attributed to the click. If no click occurred but an ad was viewed within the view-through window, and a conversion happened, it would be attributed to the view.

Key Considerations for Pinterest Attribution:

Longer Conversion Cycles: Pinterest users are often "planners." They save Pins for later, meaning the path to purchase can be extended. A short attribution window (e.g., 1-day click) might severely undervalue the impact of your Pinterest ads. Pinterest themselves recommend adopting measurement approaches that account for these longer engagement periods.

The Power of Views: Unlike many platforms, Pinterest heavily credits ad views. Their research has shown that a significant percentage of conversions captured by the Pinterest tag are attributed to ad views, indicating the strong influence of passive exposure on the platform.

Customization: While Pinterest may have its default attribution logic, advertisers can usually adjust the attribution windows within the Ads Manager or via API integrations (like Supermetrics) to align with their specific sales cycles and measurement philosophies.

Enhanced Match & API for Conversions: To improve attribution accuracy, Pinterest recommends using Enhanced Match (to tie website actions to users on Pinterest, even cross-device) and implementing the Pinterest API for Conversions (for more reliable data collection less dependent on browser tracking).

In Summary:

While the "First Click" model is a specific concept, Pinterest's attribution system now provides more flexibility than a strict first-click-only approach. It emphasizes both clicks and views and allows for various attribution windows to better capture the longer and more nuanced customer journeys typical of Pinterest users. Marketers on Pinterest should look beyond just last-click data and consider how early interactions and even passive views contribute to their overall conversion goals.