What is Attribution Mode?
Attribution mode determines how Reco counts purchases when calculating recommendation percentages. It affects both live tracking data and historical order imports.
The Two Modes
| Mode | How It Counts | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Per Session | One purchase per browsing session, regardless of quantity ordered | Most retail stores; understanding conversion rates |
| Per Order Quantity | Each unit purchased counts separately | Wholesale, bulk, or quantity-focused stores |
Per Session Mode (Default)
In Per Session mode, each browsing session counts as one purchase event, no matter how many units the customer ordered.
Example: A customer views Product A, then purchases 5 units of Product B.
| Mode | How It's Counted |
|---|---|
| Per Session | 1 purchase of Product B |
| Per Order Quantity | 5 purchases of Product B |
Per Session mode is the default and is recommended for most stores. It gives you a clearer picture of what percentage of shoppers (not units) bought each product.
Per Order Quantity Mode
In Per Order Quantity mode, each unit purchased is counted individually. This makes the recommendation percentages reflect volume rather than unique shoppers.
Example: If 10 customers viewed Product A, and one of them bought 50 units of Product B while another bought 1 unit of Product C, the percentages would look quite different:
| Mode | Product B | Product C |
|---|---|---|
| Per Session | 50% (1 of 2 purchasers) | 50% (1 of 2 purchasers) |
| Per Order Quantity | 98% (50 of 51 units) | 2% (1 of 51 units) |
Per Order Quantity mode is ideal for stores where the number of units purchased is meaningful — such as wholesale, B2B, or supplies stores.
Switching Modes
You can switch between modes at any time:
- Go to the Settings page
- Find the Attribution Mode section
- Select your preferred mode
- Save
Switching modes changes how all recommendation percentages are calculated — both for live data and historical imports. If you have historical data imported, consider re-importing it after switching modes to ensure consistency.
Which Mode Should I Choose?
| Question | If Yes → Mode |
|---|---|
| Do most customers buy 1 unit per product? | Per Session |
| Is purchase volume important to my business? | Per Order Quantity |
| Do I want to show "X% of shoppers bought this"? | Per Session |
| Do I want to show "X% of units purchased were this"? | Per Order Quantity |
| Am I unsure? | Per Session (recommended default) |