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Creating metrics

After building semantic models, it's time to start adding metrics. This page explains the different supported metric types you can add to your dbt project.

Parameters​

The keys for metrics parameters are:

Type-specific parameters​

Each metric type has additional specific parameters:

  • Simple metrics: agg (required), expr, percentile, percentile_type, non_additive_dimension, agg_time_dimension, join_to_timespine, fill_nulls_with
  • Cumulative metrics: input_metric (required), window, grain_to_date, period_agg
  • Derived metrics: expr (required), input_metrics (required)
  • Ratio metrics: numerator (required), denominator (required)
  • Conversion metrics: entity (required), calculation (required), base_metric (required), conversion_metric (required), window, constant_properties

Refer to the following sections about each metric type for detailed information on type-specific parameters.

Example​

Here's a complete example of the metrics spec configuration:

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Default granularity for metrics​

Conversion metrics​

Conversion metrics help you track when a base event and a subsequent conversion event occur for an entity within a set time period.

Cumulative metrics​

Derived metrics​

Derived metrics allow you to perform calculations using other metrics. For example, you can calculate gross_profit by subtracting a cost metric from a revenue metric, or calculate growth by comparing a metric to its value from a previous time period.

Ratio metrics​

Ratio metrics involve a numerator metric and a denominator metric. A filter string can be applied to both the numerator and denominator or separately to the numerator or denominator.

Simple metrics​

Filters​

Configure a filter using Jinja templating and the following syntax to reference entities, dimensions, time dimensions, or metrics in filters.

Refer to Metrics as dimensions for details on how to use metrics as dimensions with metric filters:

models/metrics/file_name.yml
filter: |
  {{ Entity('entity_name') }}

filter: |
  {{ Dimension('primary_entity__dimension_name') }}

filter: |
  {{ TimeDimension('time_dimension', 'granularity') }}

filter: |
 {{ Metric('metric_name', group_by=['entity_name']) }}

For example, if you want to filter for the order date dimension grouped by month, use the following syntax:

filter: |
  {{ TimeDimension('order_date', 'month') }}

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