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Datablocks

Datablocks are SMAQ's foundational unit: a reusable, named query that pulls data from one of your connections. Everything else — dashboards, automations, chat — builds on them.

A datablock answers a question once and stays answered. You define it (connection + metrics + dimensions + filters + date range), and then you can drop it onto any dashboard, reference it in chat, point an automation at it, or include it in a playbook.

Two flavors

Global datablocks

Pre-built by SMAQ and available in every project. They cover the questions almost everyone asks:

  • Campaign performance by week (Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, etc.)

  • Channel mix and conversion funnel (GA4)

  • Search term breakdown (Google Ads)

  • Top landing pages by traffic and conversions

  • Top performing creative by ROAS

Global datablocks update automatically as SMAQ adds new ones. You can't edit them — but you can duplicate one as the starting point for a project datablock.

Project datablocks

Custom datablocks you build for your project's specific needs. Use these when:

  • You need a metric or dimension that isn't in a global datablock.

  • You want specific filters baked in (e.g. "only campaigns tagged [Q2 launch]").

  • You're connecting to a SQL database or custom endpoint — there are no global datablocks for those.

See Create project datablocks.

Where to find datablocks

In any project, click Datablocks in the side menu. The page shows:

  • My Datablocks — your project datablocks

  • Global — the pre-built library, organized by connection type

[Screenshot needed] Datablocks page with both tabs visible and the Global tab open, showing a list of GA4 and Google Ads datablocks.

Custom metrics

If you need a calculated KPI on top of a datablock — ROAS, AOV, CPA, etc. — use Custom metrics. They live alongside datablocks and can blend across multiple sources.

How datablocks differ from charts

A datablock is the query; a chart is the visualization. The same datablock can be rendered as a line chart, a bar chart, a table, a pivot table, or a metric card — all from the same underlying data. See Adding custom charts.

Datablocks in chat

When you chat with SMAQ AI, it uses your datablocks as the primary way to answer data questions. The more well-named, well-described project datablocks you have, the better the AI's chat answers. See Search Datablock agent for how the AI finds them.

What's next

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