About the audience attribution hierarchy

For the segment hierarchy to take effect, the converted user must be in an ad group that includes the highest bid adjustment and more than one overlapping segment. Otherwise, the conversion will be attributed to the segment that actually triggered the impression. Attribution credit can only be given to one audience segment.

There are 2 ways the attribution hierarchy is determined in Google Ads:

1. If a user is on multiple audience lists in the same ad group:
   • The audience with the highest bid adjustment will get impression, click, cost, and conversion attribution.
   • This hierarchy pertains to both manual and Smart bidding campaigns (for example, even in cases where the bid adjustment isn't directly used in the auction).
   • In Smart bidding, the highest bid adjustment will apply only to reporting and attribution, and doesn't impact performance.
2. If a user is on multiple lists which are tied for the highest bid adjustment:
   • Impression, click, cost, and conversion attributions will be distributed according to a defined hierarchy.

Customer Match is given first priority, with remarketing and similar segments (including Google Ads and YouTube) receiving the next highest priority. Third priority goes to combined audiences, fourth priority to affinity and in-market audiences. Fifth priority goes to detailed demographics audiences.

Related links

• About Customer Match
• About Smart Bidding