Build metrics
Adobe Analytics provides a canvas to drag and drop dimensions, metrics, segments, and functions to create custom metrics based on container hierarchy logic, rules, and operators. This integrated development tool lets you build and save simple or complex calculated metrics.
Begin building a calculated metric
You can begin creating a calculated metric in any of the follows ways:
- In Analysis Workspace, open a project, then select Components > Create metric.
- In Analysis Workspace, open a project, then select the Plus icon next to the Metrics section in the left rail.
- In Analytics, go to Components > Calculated metrics, then select + Add at the top of the Calculated metrics page.
Areas of the Calculated metrics builder
The following image and accompanying table explain some of the main areas and features of the Calculated metrics builder.
Description: Give it a user-friendly description to show what it’s used for and to distinguish it from similar ones.
The description also appears within a report. It’s best NOT to put the formula into the description - instead, describe what this metric should and should not be used for. (The formula is generated as you build the metric, underneath the Summary heading. As a result, there is no need to add the formula to the description.)
Tags: Tagging is a good way to organize metrics. All users can create tags and apply one or more tags to a metric. However, you can see tags only for those segments that you own or that have been shared with you. What kinds of tags should you create? Here are some suggestions for useful tags:
- Team names, such as Social Marketing, Mobile Marketing.
- Projects (analysis tags), such as Entry-page analysis.
- Categories, such as Women’s; Geography.
- Workflows, such as To be approved; Curated for (a specific business unit)
Summary:
The Summary formula updates anytime you make a change to the metric definition. This formula also shows up in the metrics rail on the left when you hover over a metric and click the
Definition: This is where you drag in metrics/calculated metrics, segments, and/or functions to build the calculated metric.
- If you drag in a calculated metric, it will expand its metric definition automatically.
- You can nest definitions with containers. However, unlike segment containers, these containers function like a math expression and determine the order of operations.
Product compatibility: Product compatibility shows you whether the metric is compatible with Current Data, with Fully Processed Data, or only with Marketing Channel reports (first-touch allocation).
Note: Current Data does not support all metrics. Metrics that contain segments or functions are not compatible with current data. More…
Add: For all types of calculated metrics, you can add containers and static numbers to the definition. For advanced calculated metrics, you can also add segments and functions.
- Containers function like a math expression and determine the order of operations. So anything in a container will get processed before the next operation.
- Dragging a segment onto a container segments everything in that container. (Advanced calculated metrics only)
- You can stack multiple segments in a container.
List of Dimensions: Rather than leaving the Calculated Metric Builder in order to build a simple segment (in the Segment Builder), e.g. “Page = Homepage”, you can drag in Page and select Homepage directly from the Calculated Metric Builder.
This results in a much more streamlined workflow for creating segmented calculated metrics.
List of Metrics: Metrics come in 3 categories:
- Standard metrics (
- Calculated metrics (
- Metrics templates (
When you hover over a metric, you can see the Info icon to the right of it:
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The formula of how it is calculated.
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A preview trend of the metric.
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An edit (pencil) icon
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at the top right that will take you to the Calculated Metrics Builder where you can edit this calculated metric.