GTM metric dictionary template
A copyable metric dictionary entry for GTM reporting, with definition, population, calculation, owner, source fields, refresh, caveats, and validation examples.
A metric dictionary is the agreement behind a report. Use one entry per metric and make the entry readable without opening the dashboard.
Template
name: accepted-handoff-rate
question: What share of routed requests were accepted before the SLA?
unit: percent of eligible requests
population: routed requests with a due date in the period
numerator: records with seller_accepted_at <= due_at
denominator: eligible routed requests
window: calendar month by seller team
sources: [handoff.created_at, handoff.due_at, handoff.seller_accepted_at]
unknown_handling: open records remain outside the completed-rate denominator
owner: sales operations
refresh: daily
caveat: late-arriving events can change the prior day
validation_record: handoff_0042Three tests
| Test | Pass condition |
|---|---|
| Plain-language | A non-analyst can explain the number |
| Record-level | One row can be traced into numerator or denominator |
| Change-level | A definition change has an owner, date, and version |
If the metric cannot pass the record-level test, pause dashboard work and repair the process fields.
Keep versions
When the population or calculation changes, create a new version or write a dated change note. Do not compare two periods as if they used the same definition when they did not.
Add one worked record
Alongside the formal entry, include one record that qualifies, one that does not, and the expected calculation. For a conversion rate, show the cohort entry date, denominator rule, outcome event, measurement window, and final contribution. Concrete examples settle disagreements that formulas alone leave open.
Name the business owner who decides meaning, the data owner who maintains source fields, and the report owner who implements the calculation. Include the saved query or report, refresh schedule, permission boundary, known limitations, and related process definition. “CRM” is not a source; identify the object, field, event, and join key.
Review before reuse
Before placing a metric on another dashboard, confirm that the audience, population, grain, time window, and version still fit. Reconcile the total to underlying records and to any authoritative downstream system. Retire duplicate metrics instead of allowing several nearly identical definitions to compete for the same name.
Related: Leading and lagging GTM indicators, Reporting populations and denominators, and Metric ownership and source of truth.
Related guides
FAQ
- What belongs in a metric dictionary?
- Include the plain-language question, unit, population, numerator, denominator, time window, source fields, calculation, owner, refresh, missing-data treatment, caveat, and one record-level validation example.
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