Marketing attribution and tracking glossary

Updated 25 September 2026 · 8 min read

AI overview

An AI overview is an AI-generated summary shown at the top of some search results pages, answering the query directly and linking to the sources it drew on. Because many people read the summary without clicking, appearing as a cited source matters as much as ranking.

Attribution model

An attribution model is a rule for sharing the credit for a conversion across the marketing touches that led to it. Common models are first touch, last click, linear, time decay, U-shaped and W-shaped; none is objectively correct, so comparing several is more reliable than trusting one.

Canonical URL

A canonical URL is the preferred address for a page when the same or very similar content is available at more than one address. It is declared with a canonical link tag so search engines consolidate signals on one version instead of splitting them.

Consent mode

Consent mode is a feature of some ad and analytics tags that changes how they behave depending on the visitor's consent choice. When consent is refused, the tags can send limited signals without setting cookies, and the platform may estimate missing conversions with modelling; it does not replace a valid consent banner.

Consent tier

A consent tier is the level of tracking a visitor has agreed to, for example strictly necessary only, analytics, or analytics and advertising. In uForge every event records the tier it was captured under, and attribution is reported per tier so consented and non-consented activity are never blended.

Conversion

A conversion is the action you are measuring as a success, such as a purchase, a form submission, a signed deal or a placed candidate. The conversion is what attribution credits; it is not itself one of the marketing touches.

Conversions API

A conversions API is an interface provided by an ad platform that accepts conversion events sent directly from a business's servers rather than from a browser pixel. uForge sends server-side conversions to Meta, Google Ads, TikTok and Microsoft Advertising.

CRM pipeline

A CRM pipeline is the series of stages a deal moves through from first enquiry to won or lost, such as qualified, proposal sent and negotiation. It shows where every opportunity stands and how much value sits at each stage.

First touch

First-touch attribution gives all of the credit for a conversion to the first recorded interaction a customer had with your marketing. It is useful for seeing which channels introduce new customers, and ignores everything that happened afterwards.

First-party data

First-party data is information a business collects directly from its own customers and visitors, on its own website and systems. It is distinct from data bought from, or observed by, another company, and under UK law it still needs a lawful basis and, for most tracking, consent.

GEO (generative engine optimisation)

Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is the practice of making content easy for AI assistants and AI search features to find, understand and cite. It relies on the same foundations as good SEO: clear answers early on the page, accurate facts and descriptive headings.

Heatmap

A heatmap is a visual overlay showing where visitors click, how far they scroll and where they move on a page. In uForge, heatmaps are captured only for visitors who have given analytics consent.

Hreflang

Hreflang is an HTML attribute that tells search engines which language or country a page is intended for, and which alternative versions exist. It helps the right version, for example UK English or Thai, appear to the right searchers.

Last click

Last-click attribution gives all of the credit for a conversion to the final touch before it happened. It is simple and shows which channels close sales, but it gives nothing to the channels that introduced the customer.

Lead source

The lead source is the channel, campaign or referrer that brought a lead to you, such as a paid search ad, a newsletter or a social post. Keeping it attached to the CRM record lets you report deals and revenue by source rather than just counting enquiries.

Linear attribution

Linear attribution shares the credit for a conversion equally across every recorded touch, so four touches get 25% each. It gives a neutral view of everything that played a part, but treats a brief visit the same as a detailed one.

PECR

The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) are the UK rules on cookies and similar technologies, and on electronic marketing by email, text and phone. Regulation 6 requires consent before storing or accessing information on a user's device unless an exception applies, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 added some narrow exceptions.

Referrer

The referrer is the address of the page a visitor came from, which the browser may pass to your site when they click a link. Analytics tools use it to identify sources such as search engines, social networks and AI assistants when a link carries no campaign tags.

Server-side tracking

Server-side tracking means sending measurement or conversion events from a server you control rather than directly from the visitor's browser. It improves reliability and control over what is shared, but it does not remove the need for consent.

Static site

A static site is a website whose pages are built in advance into ready-made files, rather than being assembled on a server each time someone visits. Static pages load quickly and have a smaller attack surface; uForge publishes sites this way, with a preview before each build goes live.

Third-party cookie

A third-party cookie is a cookie set by a domain other than the website the visitor is on, typically by an advertising or tracking service embedded in the page. Browsers increasingly restrict them, and in the UK they need consent under PECR like other non-essential cookies.

Time decay

Time-decay attribution gives more credit to touches that happened closer to the conversion. In uForge the weighting halves for every seven days a touch sits before the conversion.

U-shaped attribution

U-shaped attribution gives 40% of the credit to the first touch, 40% to the last touch and shares 20% across the touches in between. The conversion itself, such as a form fill or purchase, is not counted as a touch.

UK GDPR

UK GDPR is the United Kingdom's version of the General Data Protection Regulation, which sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018 and governs how personal data is processed. It is enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and sets the standard for valid consent that PECR relies on.

UTM parameters

UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a link, such as utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, that tell your analytics where a click came from. Using one consistent naming convention across campaigns keeps reports clean.

W-shaped attribution

W-shaped attribution gives 30% of the credit each to the first touch, the touch that turned the visitor into a lead and the last touch, sharing the remaining 10% across the rest. In uForge, if no separate lead-creation touch can be identified, the conversion falls back to the U-shaped split.

Where to go next

For the models in context, read marketing attribution models explained. For the rules on consent, see UK cookie rules in 2026. To see how uForge applies these ideas, with first-party tracking, six attribution models and consent recorded on every event, visit analytics and attribution.