How to create and configure a metric
Build a metric from manual data or a connected tool, preview it, and set how it appears on journey map cards.
A metric turns a number, a trend, or a before-and-after comparison into something you can drop onto a journey map. Create one from manual data you enter yourself, or from a tool you've connected at the account level, then preview it and save.
Prerequisites
Editor role at the workspace level
A data source. Manual data needs no setup. To pull from Google Analytics, Power BI, Excel (Office 365), Google Sheet, or Qualtrics, that tool must be connected first. See How to manage integrations.
Add a metric
You can start a metric from two places. Both open the same full-page Add metric builder.
From the workspace Metrics tab - Click Metrics in the workspace sidebar, then + Create metric in the top right.
From a journey map - Hover in a lane, click + Add card, and pick Metric. You can choose an existing metric or type a name to build a new one.
Important: fields unlock in order, and Save stays disabled until you preview
The builder reveals fields one at a time: Name unlocks Source, Source unlocks Type, and Type reveals the data section and the Show Preview button. Save stays greyed out until you click Show Preview. If Save looks disabled, you haven't previewed yet.
Open the metric builder
Use either entry point above. The Add metric page opens with the Metric data source fields on the left and a Default card preview on the right.
Enter a Name
Type a name in the Name field, such as Website signups. This is how the metric appears in the Metrics list and in the metric picker when you add it to a map.
Pick a Source
Open the Source dropdown and choose where the data comes from.
Manual (includes CSV upload) - Enter values yourself, paste a table, or upload a CSV. No connection needed. See How to use manual metrics with CSV.
A connected tool - Google Analytics, Power BI, Excel (Office 365), Google Sheet, or Qualtrics. These appear only after an Admin connects them. See the tool's setup guide, for example How to set up the Power BI integration, and How to manage integrations.
Pick a Type
Open the Type dropdown and choose Series, Number, or Comparison. The type sets what the metric measures and how it renders, and it determines the data fields shown in the next step.
For help deciding, see How to choose a metric type.
Enter or configure the data
The data section matches your type. Series gives you a Label and Value table you can fill in, paste into, or populate from a CSV. Number takes a single value with optional prefix and suffix. Comparison takes a current and previous value. For a connected tool, this section is where you map the source fields instead.
Click Show Preview
Click Show Preview in the Default card preview panel. The sample chart renders with your data and the full Options panel appears below it. This step also enables Save.
Adjust the chart and display options
Set how the card looks in the Options panel. Pick a chart type, add an optional heading and subheading, and adjust display details like decimal places and axis bounds.
Save
Click Save. The metric joins the Metrics list and is ready to add to any journey map in the workspace.
For worked examples, here's building a Number metric and a Comparison metric:
Configure the card display
The Default card preview panel on the right sets how a new card looks by default. Pick the chart type and fill in the heading and subheading, and the preview updates in real time.
Defaults set here apply only to new cards. Editing them later does not change cards already placed on a map. To change how a single card looks on a specific map, edit that card directly. See How to use metric cards.
Link a heading to a spreadsheet cell
For a metric connected to Google Sheets or Office 365 Excel, on a Number or Comparison type metric, the Chart heading and Chart subheading fields can pull their text from a cell in your spreadsheet instead of staying fixed. This keeps a heading in sync with your source data, for example a heading that always shows the current quarter's name.
Type a cell reference, like B1, into the Chart heading or Chart subheading field, then press Enter or click the grid icon at the end of the field. The field switches to show the cell's current value with a chip carrying the cell reference; click the chip's × to unlink it and type a fixed heading instead.
The heading refreshes on the same schedule as the metric's data (about once an hour). If the linked cell is later emptied, the heading keeps showing its last known value rather than going blank. Changing the metric's spreadsheet or worksheet clears any linked headings, so you'll need to re-link them.
Linking a heading isn't available for Series metrics, or for metrics connected to Google Analytics, Power BI, or Qualtrics.
Troubleshooting
Related topics
Last updated