Why last click is not enough
If you only look at the last source, some leads look like they came direct or from organic Google search, even though the first source was a paid campaign. The ad opened the door, but something else got the credit.
With the full path you see both: which channels bring people on the first visit and which channels help them decide. That way you do not shut down a campaign that looks weak at the end but actually starts many journeys.
How we recognize the source
On each new visit, the plugin picks the source in this order:
- Link with UTM. Source, medium, campaign, term, and content come straight from the link.
- Google Ads or Bing click. Even without UTM on the link, the visit is recorded as google / cpc or bing / cpc.
- Referring site. Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Yandex, Ecosia, and Baidu count as organic search. Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, and Reddit count as social. Any other site is referral.
- None of the above. The visit is recorded as direct.
First source, last source, and the path
The plugin keeps three things in cookies that last 30 days by default: first source, last source, and the ordered list of sources, for example google / cpc, facebook / paid-social, google / organic.
The list holds up to 30 steps and skips consecutive repeats. First source never changes, and last source updates on each new source. When someone returns direct, direct does not replace the last real source.
What does not count as a new visit
Clicking around your own site is not a new source. A source is added only on a new session, after a 30-minute gap, or when the visitor arrives from a different channel. If traffic passes through an external domain, for example a payment page, we can add it to the ignored list.
What you see in CRM
The lead lands in CRM with source, campaign, ad set, and ad, plus the path. You can filter by first campaign or by last and see which campaigns open the door versus which ones close it.
If you also have ad spend in CRM, you tie the path to cost per lead and ROAS so you know where to put more budget.
How to turn it on
We install the WordPress plugin and connect forms to CRM. For another site type, we talk on a call and figure out how to wire it.
Plugin cookies do not replace your site consent banner, and tracking can be turned off in the plugin settings.