Create Metric Definitions

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Identify the data source requirements for creating metric definitions.
• Create and edit a metric definition.
• Create metrics based on a definition.
• Configure insights.
• Manage metric followers.

Data Source Requirements

You create a metric definition by connecting to a published data source. Make sure that the data source you’re working with meets the following criteria.

• It’s a single published data source. You can't connect to a data source that is embedded in a workbook, and you can't connect to multiple data sources or use data blending, unless you combine the data before publishing the data source. The data source can be an extract or a live connection, and it can use a virtual connection or connect directly to the data.
• You have the Connect permission capability for the data source.
• The data source contains:
  • A measure to be aggregated as a sum, average, median, maximum, or minimum or a dimension to be aggregated as a count or count (distinct).
  • A time dimension for the metric's time series. Tableau Pulse monitors data over time, so single point-in-time values won’t produce a valid metric. The granularities supported for the time series are day, week, month, quarter, and year. Data that requires a lower level of granularity (hour or minute) isn’t a good fit for Tableau Pulse.
  • At least one dimension that can be used to filter the data and insights.

Create a Metric Definition

After making sure that your data source works with Tableau Pulse, you're ready to start creating your definition.

1. From the Tableau Pulse home page, select New Metric Definition.
2. Select a data source to connect to, and then select Connect.
3. For the Name, enter a name that’s not in use by other metric definitions. This name appears on all metrics based on the definition, so choose a name that's easy for others to understand.
4. For the Description (optional), provide brief details to help others make sense of the data.

Define the Metric Value

1. For the Measure, select the field to track. You can select a measure or a dimension, but dimensions must be aggregated as a count or count (distinct) so that they result in a measure that can be tracked.
2. For the Aggregation, select how Tableau Pulse should aggregate the field you’re tracking. If you require a more complex aggregation, follow the optional steps to create an advanced definition in the next section.
3. For Show sparkline values to date as, select whether you want the points on the metric chart to display as a running total or as noncumulative values. The current value shown at the top of the metric is always a running total for the period you’re tracking. This setting applies to the sparkline, the overview line chart, and applicable insights.
4. For the Definition Filters (optional), select values to limit the metric data. Filters you add at the definition level affect the data for all metrics based on the definition and won’t be adjustable by the viewer. Definition filters should be relevant to the meaning of the metric, for example, a definition filter that excludes returned orders to define net sales.
   Note: Under Options | Adjustable Metric Filters, you can add visible filters that others can change.
5. For the Time Dimension, select the field to define the time series.

Create an Advanced Definition (Optional)

If you prefer the flexibility of working in the traditional Tableau viz authoring environment, or if you need to create calculated fields to define your metric, use the advanced analytics editor.

1. On the definition panel, select Create Advanced Definition.
2. Add fields to the measure, time dimension, and filters shelves. Only the fields or calculations that you add to these shelves are saved by the editor.
3. Select Apply. The fields you added in the editor replace the equivalent fields in the definition panel. To edit these fields, reopen the editor. You can't edit fields configured in the advanced analytics editor in the definition panel.

Define Metric Options

1. For Adjustable Metric Filters, add at least one option. These filter options appear on the Insights Exploration page and allow users to scope the data to meet their needs. Adjusting these filters creates additional metrics from a definition. The fields you add as adjustable metric filters also determine the dimensions used to generate insights about the data.
2. For the Number Format, you can specify custom units to show with the value, or you can set the value to display as currency or as a percentage.

Configure Insights

1. Select the Insights tab. The fields under Insight Dimensions are the same fields that you added as adjustable metric filters. Tableau Pulse uses these dimensions when monitoring your data to surface relevant insights, as shown in the insights preview.
2. For Value going up is, select whether the change is neutral, favorable, or unfavorable. This option controls the color for the change value: blue for neutral, green for favorable, and red for unfavorable. It also affects the language used in insights to refer to the change.
3. Under Insight types, select the … menu, then select Turn Off to adjust the types of insights shown. Hover over the info icon for a description of each type.
4. Verify that the metric and insights previews look as expected, then select Save Definition. Tableau Pulse creates the metric definition along with the initial metric based on that definition, which has no adjustable metric filters applied. You can find your definition under the Browse Metrics tab on the Tableau Pulse home page.

Create Metrics

After you create your metric definition, Tableau Pulse takes you to the initial metric for that definition. This page is the insights exploration page for that metric. On it, you can see insights based on dimensions that you select, and you can create more metrics by adjusting filters.

1. On a metric for your definition, select Adjust. The filter labels become interactive.
2. Select the buttons to change the time period or filter options.
3. Select the checkmark button. If a metric with that combination of filters doesn’t yet exist, Tableau Pulse creates one.

Edit a Metric Definition

If your data source changes, and the metrics that are based on it break, edit the metric definition to account for these changes. Any changes you make to the definition affect all metrics based on it.

1. Open a metric for the definition you want to edit.
2. Select the Actions (⋮) menu, and then select Edit Definition.

Delete a Metric Definition

Deleting a metric definition also deletes all of the metrics based on it.

1. On the Tableau Pulse home page, select the Browse Metrics tab.
2. On the metric definition that you want to delete, select the actions (...) menu, then select Delete.

Manage Followers

Followers are specific to each metric, not to the metric definition as a whole. That way, individuals in your organization receive insights about only the metrics that matter to them. Any time you create a new metric, you need to add followers. Followers don’t carry over from the previous metric you were viewing.

Add followers.

1. Open the metric that you want to add followers to.
2. Select the Followers button.
3. In the search box, enter the name of the user or group that you want to add.
4. Select Add.

Note: If users are added to a metric as part of a group, they won’t be able to remove themselves individually. If you want users to have control over the metrics they follow, add them as individuals.

Remove followers.

1. Open the metric that you want to remove followers from.
2. Select the Followers button.
3. Next to the follower's name, select Remove.

Summary

With metrics definitions in Tableau Pulse, you can provide your organization with a simple, self-service way to see and understand data that’s relevant to them.

Congratulations! You’ve learned the basics and are ready to get your organization up and running on Tableau Pulse.