Attribution is the foundation of any successful referral program – it’s how you connect new customers back to the users who referred them. Cello provides multiple attribution tracking options to fit different technical setups and business needs, from fully automated solutions to manual reporting workflows.

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How Referral Attribution Works

Every referral follows a four-step attribution flow: Cello Referral conversion process four-step attribution flow overview diagram
  1. Referral Link Sharing - Referrers share links containing unique codes (ucc parameters)
  2. Landing Page Capture - Your website captures and stores referral codes as first-party cookies
  3. Signup Tracking - New user registrations are linked to their referrer
  4. Purchase Tracking - Revenue events are attributed back to the original referrers

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Attribution Tracking Options

Cello offers three main approaches to attribution tracking, each suited for different technical capabilities and business requirements: Best for: Teams with development resources who want real-time, accurate tracking Technical Implementation Required: Yes - Developer integration needed Automated attribution provides real-time tracking of referral conversions through technical integrations:

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2. Auto-Attribution (Backup Safety Net)

Best for: Additional coverage to catch missed attributions Technical Implementation Required: No - Works automatically Cello’s auto-attribution system acts as a safety net, detecting and recovering missed referral attributions:
  • Automatically identifies potential referrals when users first open the referral widget
  • Uses stored referral cookies to detect attribution gaps
  • Marks recovered referrals with “AA” designation in reports
  • Delays reward processing by 7 days for verification
Learn more about Auto-Attribution →

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3. Manual Attribution & Reporting

Best for: Teams without development resources or specific business requirements Technical Implementation Required: No - Report-based workflow Manual attribution relies on data exports and reports rather than real-time tracking:

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Manual Report Generation Guides

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Manual Attribution Process

When automated tracking fails, use Manual Attribution to:
  • Resolve user disputes about missing referrals
  • Handle technical glitches in automated systems
  • Address custom referral scenarios
  • Backfill historical referral data

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Choosing Your Attribution Strategy

Most successful referral programs use a combination of attribution methods:
  1. Primary: Implement automated attribution for real-time tracking
  2. Backup: Enable auto-attribution to catch missed referrals
  3. Fallback: Use manual attribution for edge cases and disputes

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Getting Started

  1. Assess your technical resources and choose your primary attribution method
  2. Review your current data flow to identify integration points
  3. Start with one method and add additional coverage over time
  4. Test attribution accuracy before launching to all users
Attribution accuracy directly impacts referrer satisfaction and program success. Most customers start with manual reporting for immediate launch, then add automated attribution for scale and accuracy.