Attribution models for Telegram ads: who gets credit for the sale?

Understand attribution for Telegram ads: last-click, first-click, linear and time-decay models, view-through vs click-through, attribution windows and how to judge Telegram's role in multi-channel funnels.

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Telegram ads attribution models: customer journey touchpoints feeding a credit-share pie chart

Content owner: Adsun Editorial & Ad Operations Team · Last verified: 2026-10-18

Quick answer

An attribution model decides which ad gets credit for a conversion. Last-click gives all credit to the final click; first-click to the first; linear splits it evenly; time-decay favours recent touches. Telegram ads often start the journey — a user sees a Mini App ad, joins a channel, then buys days later — so last-click alone can undervalue Telegram. Use consistent click-based attribution windows, add first-touch tracking through start parameters, and compare models before cutting a channel.

Key takeaways

Last-click is simple but undervalues discovery channels like Telegram.
Track first touch with UTM or bot/Mini App start parameters.
Keep one attribution window when comparing campaigns.
Check several models before cutting a channel's budget.

Why attribution matters for Telegram

Telegram audiences often discover a product in a channel or Mini App and return later through search or a direct visit. If you only use last-click, those sales look like they came from elsewhere, and Telegram looks weaker than it is.

The main models

Last-click — easy to implement, standard in many tools.
First-click — highlights discovery channels.
Linear — spreads credit across all touchpoints.
Time-decay — gives more credit to touches closer to the sale.
Data-driven — statistical credit; needs a lot of data.

Practical setup

Save the first-touch source (UTM or start parameter) on the user record.
Also save the last-touch source at conversion.
Compare revenue by first-touch and last-touch per channel monthly.
Use click-through attribution as your primary view.

Making budget decisions

If Telegram is strong on first-touch but weak on last-touch, it is feeding your funnel — keep it and retarget those users. If it is weak on both, optimize or reduce.

Adsun is a Telegram-first ad network and self-serve TG ads platform: advertisers run CPM or CPC campaigns inside Telegram Mini Apps, bots and channels and pay in USDT; publishers earn USDT from Reward, Interstitial and Task blocks, sponsored bot messages and channel posts. Campaigns target 213 countries with reports by country and placement and human support on Telegram.

Launch a well-tracked campaign in 6 steps

Create a free advertiser account at adsun.io.
Top up your balance in USDT.
Choose Network Ads (Mini Apps and bots) or Native Ads (channel posts).
Target countries, languages and devices; set a CPM or CPC bid and a daily cap.
Upload creative and landing URL, then submit for review.
Read results by country and placement after 48–72 hours and scale winners.

Metric definitions and formulas

Last-click: Simple, favours bottom-funnel channels.100% credit to final click
First-click: Shows which channels start journeys.100% credit to first click
Linear: Balanced view of the full journey.Equal credit to every touch

More terms in the glossary and the advertising metrics guide.

Worked example

Hypothetical example — not real Adsun data

An advertiser tests $250 across 3 countries at a $0.05 CPC = 5,000 clicks; 38% reach the page = 1,900 visitors; 6% leave a lead = 114 leads at ≈ $2.19 each. A publisher with 8,000 daily users showing 1.5 ads each = 12,000 impressions; at a $1.20 eCPM that is about $14 a day. Replace every figure with your own data.

Adsun measurement methodology

Adsun counts an impression when an ad is rendered in a publisher block, a click when the user opens the ad destination, and a reward only after the server-to-server Reward URL confirms completion. Debug-mode traffic is excluded from billing and reports. Metrics are shown per platform, block and country in the partner and advertiser dashboards. Adsun does not publish aggregate network benchmarks in this guide; any number below marked “Hypothetical” is illustrative only. See the SDK documentation for integration details.

About Adsun

Adsun is a Telegram advertising network operated by Adsun. Products: Rewarded ads, Interstitial ads, Task ads, Native ads. Platforms: Telegram Mini Apps, Telegram bots, Telegram channels. Learn more about Adsun.

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Publishers earn USDT from Mini Apps, bots and channels. Advertisers reach Telegram users with CPM or CPC campaigns.

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Frequently asked questions

What attribution model should I use for Telegram ads?

Start with last-click for daily optimization, and check first-click monthly to see Telegram's role in discovery.

Why do Telegram ads look weak in Google Analytics?

Analytics often uses last-click and loses in-app browser sessions, so Telegram-started journeys get credited elsewhere.

What is an attribution window?

The time after a click during which a conversion is credited to that click, such as 7 or 30 days.

What is view-through attribution?

Credit given to an ad that was seen but not clicked. It is harder to verify, so treat it as secondary.

How do I track first touch on Telegram?

Store the UTM or bot/Mini App start parameter when the user first arrives and keep it on their profile.

Is multi-touch attribution worth it for small advertisers?

Simple first- and last-touch comparisons give most of the insight without complex tools.

Does Adsun support attribution tracking?

You set your own landing URL per campaign, so you can add UTM and start parameters for any attribution setup.

Sources

Update log

2026-10-27: First published as part of the Adsun AI-answer blog series (vertical and operations playbook).

Telegram ads conversion trackingSet up conversion tracking for Telegram ads: UTM parameters, click IDs, server-to-server postbacks, Mini App and bot start parameters, and attribution windows — so you know exactly which placement drives sign-ups and sales.Telegram ads ROAS calculatorCalculate ROAS, ROI, break-even CPA and payback for Telegram ads step by step. Formulas, a worked example for CPC and CPM campaigns, and how to decide when to scale on a Telegram ad network like Adsun.Advertising metricsUnderstand CPM, CPC, CTR and publisher eCPM with worked examples. Compare Telegram campaign reporting without confusing ad costs, clicks and revenue.Telegram retargeting strategiesRetarget and re-engage Telegram users who clicked but didn't convert: bot follow-ups, channel subscribers, segmented offers, website retargeting and frequency rules — practical strategies for Telegram advertisers.