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.
Define metric values and options.
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’s 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 and View permission capabilities 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.

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

Restrict Definition and Goal Editing

By default, any user with the correct site role can edit or delete a metric definition, and all users can set, edit, or delete goals for the metrics based on that definition. You can restrict these actions to specific users and groups.

Under Definition editing permissions or Goal editing permissions, select Anyone Can Edit.
Select the Restrict editing toggle.
Enter the users and groups to add as editors.
Select Add.
Close the Manage Editors dialog.

Define the Metric Value

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.
For the Aggregation, select how Tableau Pulse should aggregate the field you’re tracking.
For Show 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.
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 related to the definition and won’t be adjustable by the viewer.
Note: Under Options | Adjustable Metric Filters, you can add visible filters that others can change.
For the Time Dimension, select the field to define the time series.
Expand the Advanced time settings (optional).
1. Enter a Date offset to change the final point in a metric’s time series to a set number of days in the past.
2. Set a Minimum time granularity if units of time like day don’t make sense based on your data. This setting controls the time options available when users filter metrics.
For Compared to, drag the time comparison that you want to be the primary comparison to the top of the list. The primary time comparison displays in digests, insights, and on the metric overview card.

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.

On the definition panel, select Create Advanced Definition.
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. Number formatting changes or granularity adjustments made to these fields in the advanced editor don't carry over.
Select Apply. The fields you added in the editor replace the equivalent fields in the definition panel. To edit these fields, reopen the editor.

Define Metric Options

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 first 20 fields that you add as adjustable metric filters also determine the dimensions used to generate insights about the data.
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 a percentage.

Configure Insights

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.
For Value going up is, select whether the change is neutral, favorable, or unfavorable. This option controls the color for the change value, and the language used in insights to refer to the change.
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. By default, the record-level outlier insight type is off. If you turn it on, it requires additional configuration.
1. For the Record identifier, select a field in your data that has a unique value for every record, for example, Order ID.
2. For the Record identifier name (optional), select a field in your data that has a name that corresponds to the record identifier, for example, Order Name.
3. For Singular and Plural (optional), add names for the records as they should appear in insights text, for example Order and Orders.
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.

On a metric for your definition, select Filter. The filter labels become interactive.
Select the buttons to change the time period or filter options.
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 related metrics.

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

Manage Followers

Followers are specific to each related 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.

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

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.

Resources

Tableau Help: Create Metrics with Tableau Pulse

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