Metric catalogue template
A metric catalogue is a working list of the metrics a team uses to understand behaviour, evaluate change, and support decisions.
Use it when metric names are being reused, definitions are unclear, dashboards are losing trust, or teams need to know how a number is calculated.
Template
Metric name:
[Plain-language metric name]
Description:
[What the metric measures]
Product question:
[What question this metric helps answer]
Related workflow:
[Workflow name]
Source events:
- [event.name]
- [event.name]
Formula:
[How the metric is calculated]
Population included:
[Which users, sessions, accounts, organisations, or records are included]
Filters or exclusions:
[Any filters, exclusions, constraints, or edge cases]
Dimensions or segments:
- [Dimension]
- [Dimension]
Related dashboards or reports:
- [Dashboard or report name]
Decision supported:
[What this metric helps the team decide, monitor, investigate, or improve]
Owner:
[Person, role, or team]
Review status:
[Draft / active / needs review / retired]
Known limitations:
[Any caveats, assumptions, or confidence issues]
Notes:
[Any useful context]
Example: registration completion rate
Metric name:
Registration completion rate
Description:
Percentage of users who start account creation and access the product for the first time.
Product question:
Are users able to create an account and access the product without unnecessary friction?
Related workflow:
Register for an account
Source events:
- registration.form_viewed
- registration.completed
Formula:
Users who trigger registration.completed
รท
Users who trigger registration.form_viewed
Population included:
Users who start registration during the reporting period.
Filters or exclusions:
Exclude internal test users and known bot traffic.
Dimensions or segments:
- entry point
- device type
- user type
- workflow version
Related dashboards or reports:
- Registration workflow dashboard
- Account access product review
Decision supported:
Where should we improve the registration experience?
Owner:
Account access product team
Review status:
Active
Known limitations:
Completion is defined as first product access. This metric does not show where users dropped out without supporting step metrics.
Notes:
Review definition if the registration flow changes or if users can access the product before email verification.
When to use it
Use a metric catalogue when metrics appear in dashboards, product reviews, planning, leadership reporting, or prioritisation.
Focus first on metrics that support important decisions. Do not start by cataloguing every number.
How to maintain it
Review a metric when:
- the related workflow changes
- source events change
- the formula changes
- the metric is reused in a new context
- a dashboard starts depending on it
- teams disagree about what it means
- confidence in the metric drops
The catalogue should help people explain and maintain metrics, not just list them.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes include listing metric names without definitions, omitting the product question, hiding filters or exclusions, failing to link source events, using the same name for different calculations, and keeping retired metrics in active dashboards.
Key takeaway
Use the metric catalogue to make important metrics traceable from question to workflow, event evidence, formula, context, and decision.