Understanding Data Differences: Time of Action (TOA) vs. Post Publish Date Attribution (PPDA)

If you're noticing differences between data in True Anthem and another platform or analytics tool, it's often due to how each system attributes engagement activity over time. This article breaks down two common attribution methods — Time of Action (TOA) and Post Publish Date Attribution (PPDA) — and explains how they impact reported metrics.

Post Publish Date Attribution (PPDA) 

(Used by all Social Media Platforms and True Anthem Reporting)

• Definition: All engagement is attributed to the original publish date of the post, even if the interaction occurs days or weeks later.
• Common Use: Social media platforms and analytics tools focused on post-level performance, automation platforms, and systems aligned with measuring post-level performance.

Example:

A post is published on April 1 and receives clicks on April 5.

→ A Post Publish Date Attribution system will attribute those clicks to April 1.

Why We Use Post Publish Date Attribution (PPDA)

The major social media platforms, including True Anthem Reporting, use PPDA. All social platforms such as Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads), LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter), etc attribute all engagement — likes, clicks, shares, etc. — back to the original publish date of the post. This ensures a consistent view of how each post performs over time based on when the social post was shared.

By following this industry-standard approach, we’re able to directly stay in sync with the reporting provided by the social platforms as well as provide accurate post-level performance analysis.

Time of Action (TOA) Attribution

• Definition: Engagement metrics (likes, clicks, shares, etc.) are recorded on the actual date the action occurs, regardless of when the content was published.
• Common Use: Web site analytics tools

Example:

A post is published on April 1 and receives clicks on April 5.

→ A Time of Action Attribution system will record clicks on April 5.

Why Some Tools Use Time of Action (TOA)

Time of Action (TOA) attribution is commonly used by web site analytics tools. Tools like Google Analytics, Chartbeat, and Adobe Analytics use TOA to attribute engagement (such as page views, clicks, or conversions) to the exact time the action by a user occurred. This helps marketers and analysts understand performance by day or hour of when the activity occurred.

However, TOA attribution does not align to how the social media platforms report engagement. Social platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and X use Post Publish Date Attribution (PPDA), which is why data from TOA-based tools may appear different when compared to social media platform reporting, or True Anthem Reporting, that follow the PPDA attribution standard.

Why This Causes Data Discrepancies

When comparing data between two systems, discrepancies often occur because they attribute engagement differently:

• A Time of Action (TOA) tool will show metrics like clicks or shares on the date the engagement actually occurred. This gives you a real-time view of audience behavior across different days.
• On the other hand, Post Publish Date Attribution (PPDA), which True Anthem uses, assigns all engagement to the original publish date of the post. Even if a user interacts with the content days later, the metrics are counted as part of the post’s original performance window.

Because of this, a TOA report may show engagement spread across several days, while a PPDA report (like ours) shows a spike on the publish date and little or no activity afterward. Both are valid approaches — they just tell the story in different ways.

Understanding which method each platform uses helps ensure you're interpreting results correctly and comparing metrics fairly.

How to Reconcile the Data

To properly compare metrics:

1. Confirm which attribution model your external source is using.
2. If needed, export post-level data from that platform (with clear timestamps or publish dates).
3. Match post-by-post rather than comparing total daily engagement.

Professional Tier Users: If you'd like help reviewing the variance, feel free to send us your export. We're happy to cross-check it against our records and walk you through the comparison.

👋 Still Have Questions?

Reach out to our team at support@trueanthem.com or by clicking the Support button in your dashboard. We're here to help!