# Promo-code attribution explained

Canonical: https://usecode.sh/guides/promo-code-attribution
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13

Attribution answers one question: when this sale happened, who gets credit? Click-based attribution credits the last tracked click inside a time window. Code-based attribution credits whoever owns the code entered at checkout, whenever that happens. Codes are the more durable signal for creators, and the trade is leakage: anyone who obtains your code can trigger your attribution, for better and worse.

## The two models side by side

|  | Click-based | Code-based |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Credit trigger | Tracked click, then purchase inside the window | Code entered at checkout |
| Typical window | Hours to 30 days depending on program; TikTok Shop attribution runs on last-click with short windows | As long as the code is active |
| Device switching | Usually breaks credit | Survives it |
| Competing creators | Last click wins | Whoever's code is used wins |
| Failure mode | Expired window, blocked cookies, lost parameters | Coupon-site leakage, shared codes, typos |

## Leakage, the honest downside of codes

A code is credit anyone can spend. When an aggregator site republishes it, redemptions arrive that your content never caused, and programs handle this differently: some pay you anyway, some strip aggregator-path redemptions, some kill the code. Ask the rule before it matters. Affiliate networks issue unique per-partner codes precisely so the right partner gets credit; uniqueness is also your protection.

## What this means for reading your own numbers

- Your [copy counts](/guides/code-copies-vs-link-clicks) approximate intended redemptions from your audience; the brand's redemption count includes leakage. A widening gap between the two is your early leak detector.
- Under last-click link attribution, your best content can lose credit to a coupon browser extension firing at checkout; commissionable codes are immune to that particular theft.
- Never present either model's numbers as the other: clicks are not codes, copies are not sales, and [your brand reports](/guides/report-code-engagement-to-brands) should keep the columns separate.

## Related guides

- [Why promo-code copies do not show up as link clicks](https://usecode.sh/guides/code-copies-vs-link-clicks)
  Buyers who use your promo code often never click your link, so click analytics record nothing. What the copy path looks like and how to measure it.
- [Do creators earn commission when someone uses the code without clicking?](https://usecode.sh/guides/code-commission-without-click)
  It depends entirely on how the deal attributes: commissionable codes pay on redemption with no click; link-only deals pay nothing for typed codes. How to tell which you have.
- [Promo code vs affiliate link: how each one pays you](https://usecode.sh/guides/promo-code-vs-affiliate-link)
  Codes and links attribute differently, pay differently, and fail differently. What creators should know before leaning on either one.
- [Promo-code tracking for creators: what you can and cannot know](https://usecode.sh/guides/promo-code-tracking)
  What a creator can actually measure about their promo codes without the brand's sales data: views, taps, copies, and what each one means.
- [How to report promo-code engagement to brands](https://usecode.sh/guides/report-code-engagement-to-brands)
  A reporting format that makes brands trust your numbers: views, taps, and copies clearly labeled as engagement, lined up against their redemptions.

## Sources

- [Impact: unique promo codes ensure the right partner gets credit](https://impact.com/partnerships/nope-affiliate-network-different/) (verified 2026-08-13)
- [Shopify Help: Collabs attribution](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/collabs) (verified 2026-08-13)
- [TikTok Seller University: affiliate links (last-click)](https://seller-us.tiktok.com/university/essay?knowledge_id=4308436637255466) (verified 2026-08-13)