Separating attributed and incremental revenue: Attributed revenue follows affiliate tracking rules, not causation.; Incremental revenue needs controlled testing to estimate true extra sales.; Report both clearly: one observed, one estimated with uncertainty.
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Incrementality

Part of Affiliate programme reporting

Separating attributed revenue from incremental revenue

Learn how to label credited affiliate sales separately from additional revenue and report what each measure can support.

Affiliate Measurement Desk · · 3 min read

Track attributed revenue and incremental revenue in separate report fields. Attributed revenue is the value assigned to an affiliate under the program's tracking and credit rules. Incremental revenue is the extra value the business estimates it gained because the activity occurred. A recorded order can be attributed without being incremental.

Attributed Revenue vs Incremental Revenue: Key Differences

  • Attributed RevenueValue assigned to an affiliate under the program's tracking and credit rules. Based on observed, reconciled data from affiliate system.
  • Incremental RevenueExtra value estimated due to affiliate activity. Requires controlled testing or comparison to estimate—does not automatically follow from attribution.

Label the attributed number precisely

Start with orders the affiliate system credited, then state which version of value is displayed: tracked order value, approved eligible value or revenue after later refunds. Show pending and declined orders separately. Match approved orders to the store before using them in a commercial report.

The label should name the period and basis—for example, “approved attributed sale value for orders placed this month, after recorded discounts and refunds”. That is a reporting definition, not a claim about cause. A late voucher click and an earlier product guide may both have contributed to a purchase, while the program's rule credits only one of them.

Key Metrics in Affiliate Performance Reporting

Approved Attributed Revenue
Observed, reconciled value under affiliate rules
Pending Orders
Not yet approved—exclude from commercial reporting
Refunded Orders
Deducted from attributed revenue before reporting

Ask the different causal question

To claim additional revenue, ask what comparable customers would have bought without the affiliate activity. A well-designed holdout or controlled exclusion can help answer that question. Changes in promotions, seasonality or product availability can still affect a comparison and must be accounted for.

Awin’s affiliate testing guidance covers building a testing plan and controlling variables. Its Publisher Incrementality report is available for Awin Advanced customers on Awin Classic.

The report includes comparisons such as basket value with a partner involved versus site average. Those groups may differ for other reasons, so that basket comparison alone is not a controlled estimate of additional revenue.

Use an honest report line

A useful executive summary has two lines and a method note:

MeasureReport as
Approved attributed revenueAn observed, reconciled value under the stated affiliate rules
Estimated incremental revenueA study estimate, with comparison, period and uncertainty; otherwise “not measured”

If a controlled test is not feasible, a before-and-after comparison may still inform a decision. Record other changes that could explain the movement and call the result directional. Do not convert an assumed percentage of attributed sales into “incremental revenue” without explaining and validating that assumption.

An attributed order can still have positive contribution under the channel's cost definition when its incremental status is unknown.

Reporting Incremental Revenue with Integrity

  1. Report attributed revenue clearlyUse precise labels like ‘approved attributed sale value for orders placed this month, after discounts and refunds’.
  2. Estimate incremental revenue only if testedUse a controlled holdout test or valid before-and-after comparison with clear method notes.
  3. Disclose uncertaintyIf no test is done, label as ‘not measured’ or ‘directional’—do not assume a percentage of attributed sales is incremental.
  4. Match approved orders to store recordsEnsure order data aligns with the merchant’s system before inclusion in commercial reports.

Before-and-After Comparison: Pros and Cons

  • ProsUseful when controlled testing is not feasible; can inform decisions with proper caveats.
  • ConsSusceptible to confounding factors like promotions, seasonality or product availability changes.

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