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Custom metrics

Define calculated KPIs — ROAS, AOV, CPA, retention rate — using formulas on top of your existing datablock columns. Custom metrics work everywhere a regular metric works.

A custom metric is a formula that produces a number from other numbers. Use them to define your business's KPIs once and reuse them across every dashboard, chart, automation, and chat session.

When to create a custom metric

  • The metric isn't returned natively by your connection (ROAS isn't a Meta metric — you derive it from purchase_value / spend).

  • You want a custom version of a standard metric (e.g. "Profit-adjusted ROAS" subtracting COGS).

  • You want to blend across connections — (GA4 organic_sessions) / (Google Ads spend).

Where to find custom metrics

In any project, click Custom metrics in the side menu (or open a chart's settings, scroll to the Custom columns section — see Add custom column to table for the chart-level version).

[Screenshot needed] Custom metrics list page with three saved metrics: ROAS, Blended ROAS, AOV.

Two scopes

Project-level custom metric

  • Created from the Custom metrics page.

  • Available across every dashboard in the project.

  • Best for KPIs that recur (ROAS, AOV, CPA, profit-adjusted versions).

Chart-level custom column

  • Created from inside a single chart's settings.

  • Only visible on that chart.

  • Best for one-off calculations specific to one analysis.

See Add custom column to table for the chart-level workflow.

Creating a project-level custom metric

Step 1 — Pick the base datablock(s)

A custom metric references columns from one or more datablocks. Pick the datablock(s) that contain the inputs you need.

Step 2 — Write the formula

Formulas use bracketed column names and standard arithmetic operators:

Available operators: + - * / Functions: SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, COUNT, IF, CASE WHEN ... THEN ... ELSE ... END

[Screenshot needed] Custom metric formula editor with [purchase_value] / [spend] typed in and the column picker visible.

Step 3 — Name and format

  • Name: human-readable (e.g. "ROAS"). No spaces in the underlying identifier — SMAQ converts ROAS to display correctly and accepts underscores.

  • Format: pick how it renders — Currency, Percentage, Number, Ratio. Custom metrics with the Currency format automatically participate in currency conversion.

  • Description: the AI uses this when picking metrics during chat.

Step 4 — Save and use

Once saved, your custom metric appears in the Metrics picker of every chart, datablock builder, and report — alongside the platform-native metrics. Use it just like any other metric.

[Screen video needed] From creating a "ROAS" custom metric on a Google Ads + Meta blended datablock through using it in a new dashboard chart. ~90 seconds.

Blending metrics across connections

To blend across connections (e.g. organic GA4 sessions against paid Google Ads spend), you need a datablock that joins or unions the two sources. SQL connections support this natively. For API connections, use a merged table — then build the custom metric on top.

Tips

  • Pick the format carefully. A ratio formatted as a percentage shows 30.5% instead of 0.305. A ratio formatted as a number shows 0.305. They're the same value — pick what your audience reads more easily.

  • Use parentheses generously. Operator precedence does what you'd expect, but parentheses make intent obvious and prevent mistakes.

  • Don't divide by zero. Use IF([spend] = 0, NULL, [revenue] / [spend]) to avoid NaN or Inf showing up in dashboards.

  • Test against a known dataset. Build the metric, render it on a dashboard, and compare to a number you know is right.

What's next

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