Custom Metrics

Overview

At hawke.ai, we understand that not all digital marketers measure performance the same way and to accommodate this diversity, we have implemented custom metrics into our platform.

With our custom metric builder, users can easily create their own custom metrics using data points from connected advertising and analytics platforms. These custom metrics can then be added to the Reporting Summary (and therefore shareable reports), have goals attached to them, and even receive customizable alerts when performance is off.

Custom Metrics

To get started with custom metrics, navigate to Platform Settings (found in the top-right corner of the platform) and then select the Custom Metrics tab. Here, you’ll see a list of all of your custom metrics, including some that have been pre-made for all users.

On the Custom Metrics tab, you’ll see a list of all currently available custom metrics (and a button to create a new one). The name of the custom metric, the team member that created it, and the formula used are all easily visible so that you can see all the details at a glance. Additionally, all of these custom metrics are easily duplicatable and those that you or a team member has created can be modified or deleted.

Creating Custom Metrics

Step 1. To create a new custom metric, click on the “+ Create Custom Metric” button (from the Custom Metrics tab inside Platform Settings), which will launch the custom metric builder drawer.

Step 2. Enter a name for your custom metric. Note that this is limited to 20 characters.

Step 3. Select a data format – that is, whether this metric should output a raw number, a currency-based number, or a percentage.

Step 4. Select a performance type – that is, whether a higher (or lower) number is better. For instance, a higher conversion is better, but a lower cost per conversion is better.

Step 5. Select how this metric changes over time = that is, it increases over time (e.g. media spend, clicks), or is averaged (e.g. conversion rate, click-through rate).

Step 6. Create a list of platform metrics to be used in your formula. Use the “+ Add Metric from Platform” button to select the platform-specific metrics you wish to use in your custom metric.

Click on the platform icons for short lists and/or use the search bar to quickly find the right metric. Note the letter label beside each as that will be used in the next step.

Step 7. Build your formula by using the letters beside each platform metric, mathematical operators, and numbers. See the screenshot above for an example.

Supported mathematical operators include:

• Brackets ( )
• Addition +
• Subtraction –
• Multiplication *
• Division /

Step 8. Save your custom metric! After clicking on “Save Custom Metric”, it may take a few moments for it to appear in your list of Custom Metrics and in the Goal Settings drawer on the Reporting Summary page. Refresh the page if needed.

FAQ

Q: What mathematical operators can I use with the custom metric builder?
A: hawke.ai’s custom metric builder permits the use of brackets ( ), addition +, subtraction -, multiplication *, and division /. Think of it as BEDMAS, without the exponents.

Q: Can I add numbers to my formulas?
A: Yes, you can add numbers! Perhaps you want to multiply your conversions by an average lifetime value, or maybe you just need to multiply by 100 to get a meaningful percentage.

Q: How do I know if my formula is correct?
A: hawke.ai’s custom metric builder has a built-in validity checker to ensure that what you have typed is in-fact a valid formula. However, this does not validate that your metric is exactly what you had intended to create (incorrect use of brackets is often the issue).

We encourage you to save your custom metric, then validate that the output on the Reporting Summary page (select it from the Goal Settings drawer first) is what you had anticipated.

Q: Why can’t I use custom channel data from Google Analytics in my custom metric?
A: While we do provide access to channel data from Google Analytics in the custom metric builder, these are limited to the defaults provided in Google Analytics. Custom metrics have been designed to work across all client accounts within a single Morphio instance, which means that custom channels or channel groups set in a specific Google Analytics account are not accessible.

Q: Why can’t I use individual conversions (Facebook Ads) or individual goal completions (Google Analytics) in my custom metric?
A: hawke.ai’s custom metrics have been designed to work across all client accounts within a single hawke.ai’s instance, which means that client-specific metrics (such as individual conversions from ad platforms and individual goal completions from Google Analytics) are not available in our custom metric builder.