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Core Concepts

Revenue attribution

How Cadence attributes revenue to predictions and what counts (and doesn't count) in your analytics.

Cadence tracks revenue generated through its prediction-driven experiences. Understanding the attribution model helps you interpret Dashboard metrics and evaluate ROI accurately.

The attribution model

Cadence uses a direct-path attribution model. Revenue is attributed to Cadence when:

  1. A customer has an active prediction
  2. The customer clicks a ConvertCart link (from an email, SMS, Nudge, or LiveBlock)
  3. The customer completes a purchase through Shopify checkout from that ConvertCart session

If any of these steps is missing, the purchase is not attributed to Cadence.

What counts as Cadence revenue

Scenario Attributed?
Customer clicks ConvertCart link in email → purchases Yes
Customer clicks ConvertCart link in SMS → purchases Yes
Customer clicks Nudge on storefront → purchases via ConvertCart Yes
Customer clicks LiveBlock in newsletter → purchases via ConvertCart Yes
Customer receives Cadence email but buys directly on storefront No
Customer receives Cadence email, visits site later organically No
Customer clicks ConvertCart link but doesn’t complete checkout No (tracked as session, not revenue)

Why direct-path attribution

Cadence intentionally uses a conservative attribution model. Many lifecycle marketing tools claim credit for any purchase within 7 or 30 days of an email send — even if the customer would have bought anyway.

Cadence only counts purchases where the customer took a direct action on a Cadence-powered link. This gives you an honest view of incremental revenue Cadence is driving, not revenue that would have happened regardless.

Where attribution appears

Cadence-attributed revenue shows in:

  • Dashboard — total revenue attributed (30-day default view)
  • Prediction analytics — revenue broken down by prediction type (replenishment, lapse, cross-sell, subscription)
  • ConvertCart analytics — revenue by cart mode and top products
  • Nudge analytics — revenue from on-site nudge conversions
  • Product analytics — revenue associated with specific products

ConvertCart funnel metrics

In addition to attributed revenue, ConvertCart analytics track the full funnel:

Metric Description
Sessions Customers who opened a ConvertCart page
Checkouts started Customers who clicked the checkout button
Purchases Customers who completed checkout
Conversion rate Purchases ÷ sessions
Revenue Total purchase value from ConvertCart checkouts

These metrics help you identify drop-off points — for example, if sessions are high but checkout starts are low, your cart page content or pricing may need adjustment.

Nudge attribution

Nudge conversions follow the same direct-path model:

  1. Logged-in customer sees a Nudge on your storefront
  2. Customer clicks the Nudge CTA (links to ConvertCart)
  3. Customer completes purchase through ConvertCart → Shopify checkout

Nudge impressions and clicks are tracked separately from ConvertCart sessions, giving you visibility into on-site engagement before the cart step.

Time periods

Analytics support multiple time periods:

  • Last 7 days
  • Last 30 days (default)
  • Last 90 days
  • Custom date range

Use longer periods for trend analysis and shorter periods for recent performance checks.

What attribution doesn’t tell you

  • Brand lift — customers who buy because of your Cadence emails but don’t click the ConvertCart link
  • Long-term retention impact — lapse prevention messages that keep customers engaged even if they don’t click immediately
  • Cross-channel influence — a customer who receives a Cadence email and later converts through a retargeting ad

These are real benefits of lifecycle marketing but fall outside Cadence’s direct-path model by design.

Where to go next