# How to Track Free Trial Conversions by Marketing Channel

See which marketing channels and campaigns bring free trials that convert to paid, with trial-to-paid conversion rate, days to convert, and expired trials by source.

Source: https://sourceloop.ai/help/trials-report/
Updated: 2026-10-10

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Free trial attribution answers one question: which marketing brings trials that actually pay? A trial that never pays costs you as much to acquire as one that does. The **Trials report** follows every trial from start to paid or expired, and shows which plans and channels bring trials that convert.

Open **Reports** in the left sidebar, then **Trials** under **Subscriptions**. It fills in once a payment tool is connected under **Setup -> Payment** and your subscriptions start with a trial.

![SourceLoop Trials report with the attribution model menu open over the trial figures, a daily chart of trials started and converted, and the trials by channel table](/help/screenshots/app/trials-report.webp)

## Step 1: Set the controls

Choose the **date range** and **comparison** period. **Measuring** is set to **Subscriptions by status**, and the attribution models you tick decide how the channel table at the bottom credits trials.

## Step 2: Read the trial figures

- **Trials started**, **Trials converted**, and **Trials expired** in the period
- **MRR from trials**: monthly revenue added by trials that converted
- **Running trials** and **Trial MRR**: trials still open, and what they are worth if they all pay
- **Trial conversion rate**: of the trials started in the period, the share that converted so far
- **Days to convert** and **Median days to convert**: how long converting trials took to pay
- **Trial length**: the average length of the trials you offer

The chart starts with trials started and trials converted side by side. Switch between **Daily**, **Weekly**, **Monthly**, and **Quarterly**.

> **Recent periods read low**
> Conversion rate counts trials that are still running as not converted yet. If your trial lasts 14 days, the last two weeks of any range will look worse than they are until those trials end.

## Step 3: Break trials down by plan or first touch

**Trials by channel** has tabs for **Plan**, **Billing interval**, **Channel**, **Source**, **Medium**, and **Campaign**. Each row shows trials started, trials converted, conversion rate, MRR from trials, trials expired, days to convert, and running trials.

Use **Plan** to see whether one plan's trial converts far better than another, and **Campaign** to find the ads whose trials actually pay.

## Step 4: Credit trials to channels by model

The last table credits trials, conversions to paid, and MRR to the visits behind each trial, with one group of columns per attribution model. Tick **First touch** to see which channels introduce your best trial users, and **Last touch** to see which ones close them.

Expand a row to break it down further, or click a number to see the people behind it.

## What's next

- **Track MRR, churn, and plans:** [Subscriptions report](/help/subscriptions-report/)
- **See what converted customers pay over time:** [Lifetime value report](/help/lifetime-value-report/)
- **Connect your billing tool:** [Track SaaS signups and subscriptions](/help/track-saas-signups-and-subscriptions/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why is the conversion rate low for the most recent weeks?

Trial conversion rate is measured per cohort. Of the trials that started in the period, it shows the share that has converted so far. Trials still running count as not converted yet, so a recent period reads low until its trials finish.

### What's the difference between Days to convert and Median days to convert?

Days to convert is the average time from trial start to first payment. The median is the point by which half of the converting trials had paid. The median is less affected by a few very slow conversions.

### Where do trials come from?

From your payment tool. A subscription that starts in a trial, in Stripe, Paddle, Polar, Lemon Squeezy, or Dodo Payments, appears here as a trial started, then as converted or expired.

### Can I compare models for trials?

Yes. The model picker applies to the channel table at the bottom, where each model gets its own group of columns. Each option in the picker carries a one-line explanation of how it splits credit.