Amazon India Limits Brand Store External Traffic Attribution
Amazon India has recently refined how external traffic to Brand Stores is tracked and attributed. The changes tighten reporting criteria, adjust attribution logic, and limit data visibility for low-volume campaigns—reshaping how brands measure the impact of social, search, and influencer traffic on Amazon.
What Has Changed in Amazon’s External Traffic Attribution
Amazon Attribution remains a free tool for Brand-Registered sellers to measure how off-Amazon campaigns perform.
However, recent updates signal a move toward stricter accuracy, reduced noise, and clearer channel quality assessment, rather than broader traffic visibility.
These changes affect how clicks, conversions, and revenue are attributed to external sources.
Attribution Methodology Is Becoming More Selective
From 2026, Amazon has refined how view-through attribution is calculated for certain placements.
Instead of relying only on impressions and clicks, attribution now incorporates additional behavioral signals such as:
- Shopping intent patterns
- Product engagement depth
- Store navigation behavior
This makes attribution more conservative and reduces credit for passive exposure.
Low-Traffic Campaign Data Is Now Masked
Amazon Attribution now masks data rows with fewer than 10 clicks.
When this threshold is not met, reported clicks and conversions may appear as zero.
While this reduces reporting noise, it limits visibility for early-stage or niche campaigns with smaller volumes.
Last-Click Attribution Within a 14-Day Window
Amazon continues to apply a 14-day last-touch attribution model for:
- Purchases
- Add-to-cart actions
- Detail page views
Only the final qualifying click within this window receives conversion credit, which can under-represent awareness-led campaigns that assist earlier in the funnel.
In-App Browser Limitations Affect Conversion Tracking
Traffic from social media apps that use internal browsers presents tracking challenges.
If users do not log in or complete checkout within the same session, conversions may not always be attributed correctly.
This can result in lower reported performance for some social campaigns despite real revenue impact.
Stricter Requirements for Attribution Tags
To qualify for accurate reporting and the Brand Referral Bonus, all external traffic must use Amazon Attribution tags.
Un-tagged links or incorrect implementations will not qualify for rebates or detailed reporting.
The Brand Referral Bonus can reimburse up to 10% of qualifying sales value, credited back to the seller account.
No Retargeting Data Export to External Platforms
A key limitation remains unchanged.
Amazon Attribution data cannot be exported to platforms like Meta or Google for retargeting or audience creation.
This prevents sellers from using Amazon performance data to optimize external ad delivery directly.
Why Brand Registry Is Mandatory for Access
All attribution and reporting features are available only to sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry.
Brand-registered sellers also gain access to:
- Sponsored Brand campaigns
- Brand Analytics insights
- Enhanced Brand Store controls
Amazon treats registered brands more favorably across multiple ranking and visibility factors.
External Traffic Still Influences Amazon Visibility
External traffic has influenced Amazon rankings long before these updates.
Since the expansion of the Amazon Attribution program, Amazon has progressively weighted off-Amazon signals under its modern ranking systems.
Well-tracked, high-intent external traffic continues to support:
- Improved keyword rankings
- Lower CPC over time
- Higher ad impression share
The emphasis has shifted from traffic volume to traffic quality.
Improved Reporting Focuses on Channel Quality
Amazon has enhanced its “Sources” reporting to help brands compare:
- Which channels drive purchases
- Which channels drive only sessions
- Which traffic sources show repeat engagement
This allows brands to reallocate budgets away from high-bounce traffic toward channels that generate measurable revenue.
What This Means for Indian Sellers
For Indian brands, these updates reinforce three priorities:
- Correct attribution tagging across all campaigns
- Focus on intent-driven external traffic
- Realistic expectations for low-volume tests
Indian sellers relying on social, influencer, and search campaigns must now optimise for conversion depth, not surface-level clicks.
Industry Perspective
Digital marketing teams and industry observers, including ,Digilogy track these attribution shifts closely as part of the broader evolution in how marketplaces measure off-platform influence and revenue quality rather than raw traffic volume.
FAQs: Amazon External Traffic Attribution
How does Amazon Attribution track external traffic?
Amazon Attribution uses tagged URLs to measure clicks, engagement, and conversions from non-Amazon platforms like social media, search, and email.
Why does Amazon show zero data for some campaigns?
If a campaign generates fewer than 10 clicks, Amazon masks the data to reduce reporting noise and protect accuracy.
Is Amazon Attribution free for sellers?
Yes. Amazon Attribution is a free tool, but it is available only to Brand-Registered sellers.
What is the Brand Referral Bonus?
It is a rebate program that reimburses sellers up to 10% of qualifying sales generated through Amazon Attribution-tagged external traffic.
Can Amazon Attribution data be used for retargeting?
No. Amazon does not allow attribution data to be exported to external ad platforms for retargeting.
Final Takeaway
Digital marketing teams and industry observers, including Digilogy, track these attribution shifts closely as part of the broader evolution in how marketplaces measure off-platform influence and revenue quality rather than raw traffic volume.
