Quick answer: Calculated metrics are custom measures you build in Google Analytics by combining existing metrics with a formula, such as revenue divided by users, or several goals added together. You create them at view level under Admin, then use them in custom reports and dashboards like any other metric. They are calculated from the report’s totals after the data is processed, so they work on historical data straight away. The feature is still marked as beta and the standard version allows only a handful per view, so choose the ones that answer your most frequent questions.
Google Analytics gives you hundreds of metrics, but rarely the exact one your business cares about. Before calculated metrics, getting a figure like “leads per session” meant exporting data to a spreadsheet and doing the maths yourself every month. Calculated metrics move that work into Analytics.
How calculated metrics work
A calculated metric is a formula made of:
- Existing metrics, written in double curly brackets, such as
{{Sessions}}or{{Revenue}}. - Operators: add, subtract, multiply and divide, with brackets to control the order.
- Numbers, if you need constants.
Google Analytics applies the formula to the totals for each row of a report. If your report shows traffic sources, the formula runs separately for each source using that row’s numbers.
Formatting types
When you create a metric you choose how it is displayed:
- Integer: whole numbers.
- Float: decimals.
- Percent: shown with a percentage sign.
- Time: shown in hours, minutes and seconds.
- Currency: shown in the view’s currency.
Pick the right type, because it affects how the result is shown and rounded.
They work on historical data
Unlike goals, which only count from the date you create them, calculated metrics work on any date range. That is because they are worked out from report totals rather than collected as new data. Create one today and you can look back over last year straight away.
How to create a calculated metric
You need Edit permission on the view.
- Go to Admin.
- In the View column, choose Calculated Metrics (shown with a beta label).
- Click New Calculated Metric.
- Enter a name. A clear name matters, because it is what you will look for in reports.
- The external name is generated automatically and is used if you pull data through the API.
- Choose a formatting type.
- Type your formula. As you type, Analytics suggests matching metric names.
- Click Create.
The new metric then appears under a “Calculated Metrics” group when you build a custom report or add a dashboard widget.
Useful calculated metrics to add
For lead generation sites
All leads combined: {{Goal 1 Completions}} + {{Goal 2 Completions}} + {{Goal 3 Completions}}
If you track contact forms, quote requests and phone link clicks as separate goals, this gives one lead total without counting newsletter sign ups or other soft goals. Our guide to Google Analytics goals covers setting them up.
Lead conversion rate: ({{Goal 1 Completions}} + {{Goal 2 Completions}}) / {{Sessions}}
Formatted as a percentage. The built in goal conversion rate includes every goal, which can make results look better than they are. This version counts only the goals that matter.
Leads per user: ({{Goal 1 Completions}} + {{Goal 2 Completions}}) / {{Users}}
Useful when people visit several times before getting in touch.
For online stores
Revenue per user: {{Revenue}} / {{Users}}
Formatted as currency. Per session value spreads revenue across every visit; per user value is closer to what each person is worth.
Average items per order: {{Quantity}} / {{Transactions}}
Formatted as a float. A useful way to track whether bundles and upsells are working.
Product views per session: {{Product Detail Views}} / {{Sessions}}
Requires Enhanced Ecommerce. Shows how deeply visitors browse, by source or device.
Revenue after shipping: {{Revenue}} - {{Shipping}}
Gives a clearer view of product revenue when your tracking includes shipping in the revenue figure.
For content sites
Pageviews per user: {{Pageviews}} / {{Users}}
A different angle on engagement from pages per session.
Where to use them
- Custom reports: build a flat table or explorer report with your calculated metric next to dimensions such as source, landing page or device.
- Dashboards: add a widget with your key calculated metrics so they are visible every time you log in.
- The Reporting API: pull calculated metrics into your own spreadsheets or reporting tools using the external name.
Limits and caveats
Limited number per view
Standard Google Analytics allows only a small number of calculated metrics per view (Analytics 360 allows many more). Do not waste slots on metrics you will look at once. Agree as a team which ones answer recurring questions.
Calculated from totals, not individual hits
The formula runs on aggregated totals for each row. It cannot look at individual sessions or apply conditions such as “only sessions that viewed the pricing page”. For that you need segments, goals or custom dimensions.
Still in beta
The feature works well, but as a beta it may change. Keep a note of each formula somewhere outside Analytics so you can recreate it if needed.
Sampling still applies
If a report is sampled, the calculated metric is based on sampled totals too. Shorter date ranges reduce sampling.
Division by zero
Rows where the bottom of the fraction is zero show as zero or blank. Filter out rows with very small numbers, as they produce misleading ratios.
Naming confusion
Metrics with vague names like “Conv Rate 2” cause mistakes later. Use descriptive names and a description in your team’s documentation.
A simple workflow
- List the questions you or your clients ask every month. “How many real leads did we get from organic search?” is a good example.
- Check whether a built in metric answers it. Often one does.
- If not, write the formula and test it against a manual calculation for one month.
- Add it to a custom report or dashboard so it is always to hand.
- Review once a quarter and remove metrics no one uses.
Combining calculated metrics with other data
Calculated metrics are most useful alongside clean data. If your Search Console account is linked, you can compare search queries with on site behaviour; see our guide to linking Search Console to Google Analytics. Filtering out referral spam is also important, because fake sessions distort any ratio that uses sessions or users.
FAQ
Can I use calculated metrics in standard reports?
They are designed for custom reports and dashboards. Building a custom report is quick and gives you more control anyway.
Do calculated metrics change my data?
No. They are a way of viewing data you already have. Deleting one removes it from reports but does not affect underlying data.
Can I share calculated metrics with other views?
They belong to the view they are created in. Recreate them in other views as needed, using your saved formulas.
Measure what matters to your business
The right handful of metrics, checked regularly, is more useful than a hundred reports no one reads. We set up analytics that answer real business questions and build reports your team will actually use. See how we help businesses know what’s working.
