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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryMeasurement & AttributionIncremental ROAS (iROAS)

Measurement & Attribution

Incremental ROAS (iROAS)

Revenue caused by advertising, divided by ad spend, excluding sales that would have happened anyway.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Incremental return on ad spend (iROAS) is the revenue caused by advertising divided by ad spend, excluding sales that would have happened anyway. It is usually estimated through lift tests or holdout experiments. Because standard ROAS can credit ads for organic purchases, iROAS gives a more accurate view of what advertising truly contributes.