[GA4] How to Use Calculated metrics  | Clear Explanation of Recommended Settings and Notes

GA4's Calculated metrics is a function that creates new metrics using the four arithmetic rules (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) based on the metrics provided by default in GA4. With calculated metorics, for example, e-commerce conversion rate (purchase rate), which is not yet provided by default in GA4, can be created using the "Transaction"/"Session" formula.

This article provides a clear explanation of how to use calculation indicators, examples of recommended settings, and points to note.

Requirements for creating Calculated metrics

To create a Calculated metrics, you must be an "administrator" or "editor" of the  GA4 property.

Constraint

• The number of Calculated metrics that can be created is limited to 5 for the free version of GA4 properties and up to 50 can be registered for the paid version of 360 properties.
• The metrics that can be used in calculated metrics are the metrics provided by default and custom  metrics. It is not possible to create another metrics using an metrics created in calculated  metrics.
• Calculated metrics created in GA4 can be used in GA4 reports, explore, and Google Analytics Data API; they cannot be used in Looker Studio, but they can be created on the Looker Studio side.

Some accounts are not yet available (as of November 9, 2023)

Some accounts are currently in beta and are not yet available. No special application is required, and they will become available in a short while, so wait for them to be applied.   

Early release bugs have occurred (as of November 9, 2023).

Perhaps a bug early in the release, the indicators that should be available are not, or the error "The selected indicator is incompatible." error occurs. We will wait for Google's response to this issue, as it seems to have been posted in  forums as well.

How to Create Calculated metrics

Step 1: Open "Custom definitions" and click on "Create Calculated metrics

• Open "Admin" > "Property settings" > "Data display" > "Custom definitions" for the GA4 property.
• Click "Create calculation metrics" in the upper right corner of the screen.

Step 2: Create  Calculated metrics

Enter the following four items and click "Save" in the upper right corner.

• Name: Enter the name of the metric.
• API Name: Enter the name of the metric.
• Formula: Enter a formula referring to the capture below.
• Unit of measurement: Select the most appropriate one from the following four.
• Standard
• Currency
• Distance (feet, miles, meters, kilometers)
• Time (milliseconds, seconds, minutes, hours)

 

Step 3: When the screen changes to this one, you are done!

Examples of recommended settings for calculated metrics

As mentioned above, many indicators are currently unavailable due to initial bugs and will be added after the bugs are resolved.

Related Looker Studio official documentation

Looker Studio official help:Calculated metrics

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