Build calculated metrics

Last update: June 20, 2025

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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.

You can use the calculated metric builder to create or edit calculated metrics. When created in this way, calculated metrics are available in the component list and can then be used in projects throughout your organization. Alternatively, you can quickly create a calculated metric that is available only for the project where it was created, as described in Create calculated metrics for a single project in Metrics.

Create a calculated metric describes the different options available to create a new calculated metric.

Areas of the calculated metrics builder

The Calculated metric builder dialog is used to create new or edit existing calculated metrics. The dialog is titled New calculated metric or Edit calculated metric for metrics that you create or manage from the Calculated metrics manager.

Calculated metric details window showing fields and options described in the next section.
Calculated metric details window showing fields and options described in the next section.

  1. Specify the following details ( Required is required):

    ElementDescription
    Report suiteYou can select the report suite for the calculated metric. The calculated metric you define is available in Workspace projects based on the selected report suite.
    Project-only metric

    An info box appears at the top of this dialog when you edit a calculated metric that was created for a single project, as described in Create calculated metrics for a single project.

    If you want to make this calculated metric available for all projects, select the option, Make this metric available to all your projects and add it to your component list.

    Title Required Name the calculated metric, for example, Conversion Rate.
    DescriptionProvide a description for the segment, for example, Calculated metric to define the conversion rate. There is no need to describe the formula for the calculated metric as the formula is already automatically available in Summary.
    FormatSelect a format for the calculated metric: You can select between Decimal, Time, Percent, and Currency.
    Decimal placesSpecify the number of decimal places for the format selected. Only enabled when the format selected is Decimal, Currency, and Percent.
    Show upward trend asSpecify whether an upward trend of the calculated metric displays as ▲ Good (Green) or as ▼ Bad (Red).
    CurrencySpecify the currency of the calculated metric. Only enabled when format selected is Currency.
    TagsOrganize the calculated metric by creating or applying one or more tags. Start typing to find existing tags you can select. Or press ENTER to add a new tag. Select CrossSize75 to remove a tag.
    PreviewThe preview covers the last 90 days and is a way to gauge whether you have defined your metric correctly.
    SummaryDisplays a summary of the definition of the calculated metric.
    For example: Event Total Orders Divide Event Sessions.
    Definition Required Define your segment using the Definition builder.

  2. To verify whether your calculated metric definition is correct, use the constantly updated Preview of the results of the calculated metric. The Preview covers the last 90 days and evaluates the definition of your calculated metric continuously.

    The Product compatibility indicates the compatibility of the calculated metric with Adobe Analytics functionalities. See Metric compatibility for more information.

  3. Select:

    • Save to save the calculated metric.
    • Save As to save a copy of the calculated metric.
    • Cancel to cancel any changes you made to the calculated metric or cancel the creation of a new calculated metric.

Definition builder

You use the Definition builder to drag and drop dimensions, metrics, segments, and functions to create custom metrics based on container hierarchy logic, rules, and operators. In that construction, you can use standard metrics, Adobe defined metrics, calculated metrics, segments, dimensions and functions. All these components are available from the component panel in the Calculated metric builder. Furthermore, you can use operators and containers in the definition.

Create calculated metric

Only metrics are defined as singular components in the Definition area. All other components are defined as a container, wrapping metrics or other containers. See Containers for more information.

Metrics

To add a metric:

  • Drag and drop an Events Metrics component from the components panel onto Drag and drop metrics, dimensions, dimension items, segments, and/or functions here. You can use the Search in the components bar to search for specific components.

When you use a calculated metric as part of your definition, the calculated metric is expanded.

To modify a metric:

  1. Select Setting in a metric component in the Definition area.
  2. In the popup dialog you can define the type of metric and an attribution model. See Metric type and Attribution.

To delete a metric:

  • Select Close in the metric.

Operators

Operators let you specify the operator between components or containers. Operators appear automatically between

  • two or more metrics in a container,
  • two or more containers in a container,
  • one or more metrics and one or more containers in a container.

You can select:

SymbolOperator
Divide Divide (default)
Close Multiply
Remove Subtract
Add Add

Static number

You can add a static number to your calculated metric definition. To add a static number:

  • Select AddCircle Add from within a container.
  • Select Static number. A static number container appears.
  • Select Click to add a value and type a value.

Containers

You add dimensions, segments and functions as containers to a calculated metric definition. You can also add a generic container. Containers function like a math expression and determine the order of operations. Anything within a container gets processed before the next component or container.

Segment container

You use the concept of a segment container to create a segmented metric. You can construct a segment container using a segment, or using a segment you create from a dimension.

  • To add a segment container from a dimension:

    1. Drag and drop a Dimensions Dimensions component from the components panel onto Drag and drop metrics, dimensions, dimension items, segments, and/or functions here. You can use the Search in the components bar to search for specific components.
    2. In the Create Segment from Dimension popup, define the condition for the segment. Select from the list of operators and select a value or enter a value. For example, Month equals ChevronDown Sep 2024.
    3. Select Done. A segment container is added to the Definition.

  • To add a segment container from a segment, you can use:

    • Drag and drop a Segmentation Segments component from the components panel onto Drag and drop metrics, dimensions, dimension items, segments, and/or functions here. You can use the Search in the components bar to search for specific segments.
      Automatically a segment container is added to the Definition, using the name of the segment.

    • Drag and drop a Segmentation Segment component from the components panel onto a generic container. The container is modified into a segment container.

    • Select AddCircle Add from within a container:

      1. Select Segment. A segment container is added to the Definition.
      2. In the new segment container, select a segment from the Select… drop-down menu.
    TIP
    You can add more than one segment to a container.

    The segments in the container are named after the segment component. For example, Segmentation Web sessions. Select InfoOutline to display a popup with details on the segment. In the popup, select Edit to edit the segment definition.

To remove a segment from a container:

  • Select Close next to the segment name.

See Segmented metrics for more details and examples.