# Optimize Metrics Explained

This article explains how impact.com gives credit for a conversion, like a sale or sign-up, to a specific partner in the different scenarios a customer might take, from a single click to a journey involving multiple partners.

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<summary>Single Step Path</summary>

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In the simplest scenario, a customer clicks a link from a partner and converts. The *closer* thus wins attribution. Both the *participating click count* and the *participation count* are 1.

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<summary>Two Step Path (One Partner)</summary>

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In this path, a customer clicks twice on the links of the same partner, who acts as both the *introducer* (first click) and the *closer* (second click). The *closer* click wins attribution. The *participating click count* is 2, but the *participation count* remains 1, since only one unique partner was involved.

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<summary>3 Step Path (One Partner)</summary>

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In this path, the single partner now fills all the roles: *introducer* (click 1), *influencer* (click 2), and *closer* (click 3). The closer wins, the *participating click count* is 3, and the *participation count* is 1.

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<summary>N Step Path (One Partner)</summary>

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This generalizes the rule for any number (N) of clicks from the same partner. The partner is involved as the *introducer*, and on all intervening clicks, and as the *closer*. The *closer* (click N) wins attribution. The *participating click count* is N, but the *participation count* is always 1, since there is only 1 partner.

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<summary>Two Partner Path</summary>

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When 2 or more partners are involved, the *closer* is not always the *winner*. Either partner can be awarded credit, depending on how the attribution rules are defined. Partner B could win even if Partner A was the *closer*.

In the case that Partner A has 3 clicks and Partner B has 1, the *participating click count* is 4, but the *participation count* is only 2 (one for A, one for B).

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<summary>Multiple Partners Path</summary>

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As with the two-partner path, the *winner* can be a partner like Partner B based on contract terms, not necessarily the *closer* (Partner D). In a case where every click is from a unique partner, the *participating click count* (4) and the *participation count* (4) will be equal.

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