Think of the Metric List as a basecamp for your metrics. Here you can see all your metrics in one place and keep informed on their progress.
At a glance, check metric values, progress, and trends. Narrow down the list to see only the metrics you're interested in right now. Get quick access to each metric's background details. Click a metric in the list to open it or click the 3-dot menu at the end of its row and select Open in new tab. Delete metrics you no longer need. There are so many things you can do from your Metric List!
This article includes:
- Checking in on your metrics
- Finding specific metrics
- Accessing metric details
- Understanding metric icons
- Opening a metric
- Exploring a metric
- Deleting a metric
- Helpful additional information
Checking in on your metrics
The dynamic, responsive nature of your metric list makes it a great place to quickly check on your metrics and see how they're progressing.
The Value column displays the metric's current value, for the selected date range. Transactional metrics will show the value over the whole date range. Current values metrics will show the current value at the end of the date range (the last updated value).
The Change column displays a comparison of the metric's current value versus its value from the previous, equivalent date range. For example, if the selected date range is “This month”, the Change column will show a comparison to the “previous month”. Green is used to show a positive (improving) trend and red is used to show a negative (worsening) trend. For more information, hover over the value to see a detailed tool tip. If an asterisk (*) displays after the value, this indicates the comparison period is incomplete. Note: If the date range filter is set to "Auto" or "Maximum date range" N/A may display here as there is no previous period you can compare to using those date ranges.
The Trend column includes a stylized line chart that tells you, at a glance, how your data is trending over time, based on the selected date range. Trend lines display a more refined view of your data. For example, if your date range is set to "Today", the trend will display data for each hour of the day. If your date range is set to "Jan 1st to Jan 31st" (one month), the trend will display data for each day of that month. You can hover over the trend line to see all of its data points. Note: If the selected date range is for a period that is incomplete, for example, the date range is "This week" and it's only Wednesday, then the trend line will only display information for the part of the date range that has data.
The Tags column displays the tags that have been added to each metric. Learn more about tags.
The Last refreshed column shows you the last time the metric's data was refreshed. For dbt™ Semantic Layer metrics, this is the last time your dbt metrics in PowerMetrics were updated to align with changes in your dbt Semantic Layer project.
Finding specific metrics
Across the top of your Metric List page, you’ll see several options to help you quickly find specific metrics.
Note: You can also use the Search feature to find all the metrics you have access to in your account. Learn more here.
Filter by date range
The date range you select affects all of the dynamic information in the metric list. The information that displays for value, change, and trend will reflect the date range you've selected.
Notes:
- If you choose "Auto" or "Maximum date range" in your filter, the Change column for each metric will display the value "N/A". This is because these date ranges don't enable a comparison to a previous period.
- The default first day of the week is Monday, however, this setting can be modified by your Account Administrator if needed.
Filter by name
Filtering is made easier when you give your metrics meaningful names. Enter a metric name or a service name in the "filter by name" field to display associated metrics. For example, to see a list of your Google Analytics metrics, enter "Google Analytics".
Filter by service, category, or tag
To access the following options, click Filter and use the dropdowns beside Service, Display, and Tags to select relevant filters.
Display metrics for all services or for specific services. For example, show all of the Google Analytics metrics or only the metrics created from uploaded files. This list grows as you add more services to your account. You can choose a service by entering its name in the field or by selecting it from the drop-down list. Note: Select "Sample metrics" to see a list of sample metrics in your account.
When you filter to display metrics by category, you can choose from:
- All metrics
- Only the metrics you created or that are shared with you
- Only the metrics that aren't shared with you (Account Admins only)
- Only the metrics you starred
- Only certified metrics
Display all tags, or click the drop-down to include or exclude specific tags. If you know the name of the tag you want to filter by, start typing it into the Search field. Tip: You can also filter the list by clicking a tag in the Tags column.
Note: To add a metric to your Starred list, click its 3-dot menu and select Add to Starred. You can also quickly add and remove metrics from your starred list by hovering in the invisible column beside the Metric name column in your list. (See below.)
Accessing metric details
Want to learn more about a metric? Click its 3-dot menu and select About to access the following details:
The name of the metric view (if applicable). (This displays at the top of the window.)
The name of the source metric. Clicking this link for a metric opens the metric in a new tab.
The metric’s owner.
When the metric was last edited.
A description (dbt Semantic Layer metrics only). The description from the dbt Semantic Layer project or one that was modified when editing the metric in PowerMetrics.
The tag(s) applied to the metric. Learn more about tags.
The metric's certification status. If a metric is certified the name of the person who certified it and the date and time of certification displays. If a metric has had its certification removed, the name of the person who removed the certification and the date and time it was removed displays. If a metric is not, and has never been, certified, “None” displays. Learn more about certifying metrics.
The amount of data history that’s being stored.
When the metric was last refreshed. For dbt Semantic Layer metrics, this is the last time your dbt metrics in PowerMetrics were updated to align with changes in your dbt Semantic Layer project. For all other metric types, this is the last time the data feed associated with the metric was manually or automatically refreshed.
The type of metric (instant data feed, instant calculated, data feed, calculated, data warehouse, Cube semantic layer, or dbt Semantic Layer).
For instant data feed metrics, you'll see the associated service (for example, Google Analytics) and a metric definition. You'll also be able to access a link to Metric HQ (if applicable).
For instant calculated metrics, the information you see is similar to that of instant metrics, except you’ll also be able to see and access the instant metrics being used in the calculation.
For calculated metrics, you'll see the calculation – the formula that was used to create the metric. You can click each metric in the calculation to open its overview page.
The default value (aggregation type) (instant data feed and data feed metrics only) that was selected when creating the metric.
The date or time dimension (name of the date or time column in the associated data source or data feed) (instant data feed and data feed metrics only) and available segments. These items display as pink text, indicating they are settings that were selected when the metric was created.
A link to the associated data feed (instant data feed and data feed metrics only). If the data feed is in an error state, click on the data feed link to investigate.
The semantic layer metric name (dbt Semantic Layer metrics only). The name of the metric in the dbt Semantic Layer project.
The service (data warehouse, Cube semantic layer, and dbt Semantic Layer metrics only). The name of the data source service.
Understanding metric icons
An icon displays beside each metric’s name in the Metric List and in an open metric. Depending on the source, type, and state of a metric, the following icons can display:
| Icon | Description |
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The Error icon indicates that the metric is in an error state. Possible reasons include the data source or data feed for the metric has been deleted, a column that’s referenced in the metric has been removed from the data source or data feed, or the data source or data feed is failing to refresh. There are a few reasons for refresh failures. Learn more about refresh for data feeds. Note: If you delete a raw and/or modelled data source or data feed for a metric, the metric will stop refreshing and will only display static data from that time onward. |
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The Service icon indicates the service, or services, the metric is associated with. Note: You can change the image used for service icons. Learn more here. |
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The File upload icon displays for metrics that are based on uploaded file data sources and data feeds. |
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The REST/URL icon displays for metrics that are based on REST/URL data sources and data feeds. |
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The Multiple Services icon indicates all of the services being used for a metric when there are multiple services. This icon can display for calculated metrics or when a metric is based on multiple, joined data sources or data feeds. If there are more than four services, the bottom right service icon is replaced with +. In this example, the metric is based on five data services. If you hover over the icon, all of the service names display as a tooltip. |
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The Unknown Service icon displays when the data source or data feed for the metric is unknown or there’s no service associated with the metric. |
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The Unknown Service(s) icon for calculated metrics displays when the services are unknown or there are no services associated with the calculated metric. |
Opening a metric
Click a metric in the list to open its overview page. You can also open it in a new tab by clicking the 3-dot menu at the end of its row and selecting Open in new tab or by clicking Ctrl + click (for Windows) or Command + click (for macOS). In the overview, you can view the metric from multiple perspectives and edit the metric for yourself and for everyone who has shared access. Learn more about viewing and editing metrics.
Exploring a metric
If you see a metric in your list that you want to investigate further, click the 3-dot menu at the end of its row and select Open In Explorer.
In Explorer, you're free to experiment and see your data in multiple ways by choosing different display, data, and filter options from the panel on the right. When you explore, you modify the personal settings for the metric - Your changes persist but are only visible to you. This enables you to experiment with and find the optimal visualization(s) without exposing your changes to colleagues.
Learn more about exploring your metrics.
Deleting a metric
You can delete metrics if you created them or someone shared them with you and gave you edit access. If you're an Admin, you can delete any metric in the account, regardless of ownership and sharing permissions. When a metric is deleted, it is removed permanently from your account.
When deleting a metric, associated dashboards or calculated metrics display in a list. On hover, you can select each one and open it in a new tab for consideration before confirming deletion.
To delete a metric from the Metric List:
- To delete a single metric, click the 3-dot menu for the metric and select Delete.
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To delete multiple metrics, select the checkbox beside each metric in the list you want to delete. Then, click the Delete button, as shown below.
Helpful additional information
Sometimes your metric doesn't look like you expected. When that happens, you can learn more by looking at the messages in the Trend column of your metric list.
Here's a list of the messages that may display here and what they mean:
More data is on the way: There's nothing "wrong" with this metric - it just needs some time to grow! You'll often see this message on the first day you create a metric. Initially, your metrics only include data for a short period of time. But, as time goes by, your metric history accumulates and you'll start seeing trends. If you see this message, try changing the dashboard date range filter to “Auto” (it includes data counting backward from 11:59 today). If that doesn’t make a difference, check back tomorrow (and every day) to see your metric history grow.
No data for the selected date range: The metric list includes a date range filter control. This message indicates there's no data in this metric for the date range selected in the filter. We suggest you try a different date range setting or select "Auto" or "Maximum date range".
This data is private: As an Administrator, you can see ALL the metrics in the account, even metrics that aren't shared with you. This is so you can manage account assets. If a metric hasn't been shared with you, you won't be able to see the data within it and this message will display. You will still be able to delete the metric.
Can't load data: This message can display for many reasons, including network or other technical issues. If you see this message, check back later. If the data still isn't loading, please contact our Support Team.