# When do I use "Breakdown by" vs "Attribution Options" for Reports? When building reports, you’ll use both **Breakdown by** and **Attribution Options**, but each serves a different purpose. One for structuring **how data is sliced**, and the other for determining **how credit is assigned.** ### **Breakdown by** **Breakdowns** help you slice and dice your funnel data by static values. They can be specific fields directly from your CRM or custom dimensions you create in the **"Breakdowns"** tab, like Region or Industry. Think of it as **"How do I segment my results?"** * **What it does:** It groups your report's data into categories based on a chosen **Breakdown**. * **Use Case:** You're asking questions like: * "How many MQLs did we get from each Industry ?" * How many Leads came from what Territory (NAMER, APAC, EMEA, etc.)? All of them belong in "Breakdown by". ### Attribution Options **Attribution Options** help you determine which **touchpoints** contributed to your goals. You should use Attribution Options when asking questions about contribution of particular touchpoints. Think of it as "**Who gets credit for the win?**" * **What it does:** It lets you choose which touchpoint property should be included and then apply an attribution model to distribute credit for your goals across interactions. * **Use Case:** You're asking questions like: * "Which marketing channels (touchpoints) contributed to our Closed Won deals?" * "What are the most popular touchpoints before a lead becomes an SQL?" All of these questions belong in "Attribution Options". --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.hockeystack.com/marketing-intelligence/report-examples-and-insights/when-do-i-use-breakdown-by-vs-attribution-options-for-reports.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.