What is a metric?
A metric is a calculation that uses a formula. It references measures and applies arithmetic to produce a result.
Analogy: If measures are like current and resistance, a metric is like voltage—(V = I x R).
Example — attrition rate: People leaving relative to the population. Conceptually: total exits ÷ entire population (× 100 for a percentage). In the metric editor you reference the measure names; the system resolves them and does the math.
For measures vs metrics, see Understanding the analytic data dictionary.
Before you start
Create the measures the formula needs first. See How to create measures.
Confirm Ontology data supports those measures.
Create or configure a metric
Open Analytics → Manage Analytics.
Open the Metrics area.
Create or edit a metric and set
Name (and description if available)
Formula that references existing measures
Save the metric.
Formula syntax (measure references)
Measure references use a $ syntax so the system knows the token is a measure name, not free text.
Prefer referencing measures with the
$form (as shown in the product).If you omit
$and type a bare name, the system still needs to resolve that name against Measures—use the product’s documented reference style so names resolve correctly.
$ is syntax for the editor; it is not an extra business meaning beyond “this token is a measure.”
Use metrics in stories
In a story, choose the metric as the calculation, then choose visualization type, optional dimension, filters, and time options.