Attribution Data Reconciliation Before Client Reporting (Delivery)

Attribution Data Reconciliation Before Client Reporting (Delivery)

1. 01

   Freeze the reporting window and export raw touchpoint data before any dashboard refresh

   Pull the exact date range into a flat file from the attribution layer (Cometly, Ruler Analytics, or SegmentStream) so the numbers you reconcile are immutable while you work.

2. 02

   Reconcile platform-reported spend against the ad network invoices line by line

   Meta, Google, and TikTok totals should match billing within 1 to 2 percent; flag any gap above that threshold before it reaches a client deck.

3. 03

   Match attributed revenue against the client's source of truth (Stripe, Shopify, or CRM closed-won)

   SegMetrics and Heeet both surface this comparison natively, but confirm the currency, tax treatment, and refund handling match the client's finance view.

4. 04

   Tag every conversion that arrived through an AI assistant or agent referral as a separate segment

   Referral-click data understates AI-influenced buying decisions, so an untagged segment will quietly deflate content and SEO credit in the final report.

5. 05

   Run a sanity check on channel totals against the prior period and annotate every swing above 15 percent

   Unexplained variance is the fastest way to lose a retainer review; write the one-line cause next to each swing before the client sees the chart.

6. 06

   Document the model assumptions (lookback window, attribution weighting, exclusions) in a one-page appendix

   Transparency in methodology is the pitch differentiator; a client who can read the assumptions will defend the numbers in their own internal meetings.

7. 07

   Route the reconciled dataset to the account lead with a diff summary of what changed since last cycle

   Delivery handoff should include the delta, not just the new totals, so the client conversation starts from movement rather than a static snapshot.