Overview
Metrics are reference overlays applied to a Chart from the Analytics tab of the Chart Designer. They draw reference lines at computed or user-supplied positions, or apply conditional formatting when values meet defined criteria. Metrics travel with the Chart through Library, Dashboards, the Inbox, scheduled deliveries, embedded views and they are configured at design time and rendered at view time.
Metrics are accessed from Lens → Design → Chart Designer → Analytics → Metrics. The Chart Designer splits into Visualization (chart selection and configuration) and Analytics (Metrics and Analysis). Metrics is one of two families inside Analytics; Analysis is documented separately.
When to use it
- Mark a benchmark on a chart — a target value, an average, a regulatory threshold.
- Highlight extreme values automatically (minimum and maximum lines).
- Show a fitted trend line over scatter data.
- Flag values that breach a performance threshold visually, with conditional formatting and optional blink effect.
Metric types
Seven metric types are documented. Six are reference lines computed against a chart measure or supplied as a fixed value; one (Threshold) applies conditional formatting for Table.
| Minimum Line | Reference line at the minimum value of the selected measure. | Measure |
| Maximum Line | Reference line at the maximum value of the selected measure. | Measure |
| Average Line | Reference line at the arithmetic mean of the selected measure. | Measure |
| Constant Line | Reference line at a fixed user-supplied value. | Value (number) |
| Linear Line | Fitted straight line representing a linear relationship between two variables. | Measure; Auto on or Slope & Intercept entered manually |
| Median Line | Reference line at the middle value of the selected measure. | Measure |
| Threshold | Conditional formatting on matching values — color, background, optional blink. Not a line. | Measure; Threshold Type (Const/Max/Min/Average); Condition |
Common fields
Most line metrics share a common configuration surface. Per-metric variations are noted in the Per-metric variations table below.
| Measure | The chart measure the metric is computed against. Not used by Constant Line (which uses Value). |
| Value | Numeric value the metric sits at. Used by Constant Line; Threshold uses it when Threshold Type is Const. |
| Label | Text shown alongside the metric to identify it on the chart. |
| Line Style | Visual style of the line: Dash, DashDot, Dot, LongDash, LongDashDot, LongDashDotDot, or Solid. |
| Alignment | Text alignment of the Label: Left, Right, or Center. Labeled ‘Measure’ in the UI. |
| Font Size | Numeric font size for the Label text. |
| Color | Color of the line and Label. Opens a color picker with preset and custom options. Not available on table-type charts. |
| Show Value on Line | Toggle. When on, the metric’s computed value is rendered on the line, with optional formatting and precision. |
| Legend Visible | Toggle. When on, the metric appears in the chart legend. |
| Legend Label | Text shown for the metric in the legend. |
| Show Legend On Line | Toggle. When on, the legend entry is rendered on the line rather than in the chart legend area. |
Threshold
Threshold is the only Metrics item that does not draw a line. It applies conditional formatting to values that match a defined criterion.
| Measure | Chart measure to evaluate. |
| Threshold Type | Source of the threshold value: Const (user-supplied), Max (computed from data), Min, or Average. |
| Condition | Comparison operator: Greater than, Greater than or equal, Equal to, Lesser than, Lesser than or equal, Null, Empty, or Between. |
| Value | Comparison value. Required when Threshold Type is Const; also used by Between (range). |
| Color | Foreground color applied to matching values. |
| Background | Background color applied to matching values. |
| Blink | Toggle. When on, matching values blink continuously on the real-time (Dashboard) view. |
Key behaviors
Metrics are design-time configurations. Metrics are saved with the Chart. They appear wherever the Chart is rendered — Dashboard, Library, scheduled deliveries, Inbox entries, embedded views — without further configuration at view time.
Computed vs. supplied values. Minimum, Maximum, Average, Median, and Linear Lines compute their position from the chart’s data. Constant Line and Threshold (with Threshold Type = Const) use values supplied by the Designer. Recomputed metrics update automatically when the underlying data changes; supplied values do not.
Threshold targets values, not axes. Where line metrics draw a horizontal reference, Threshold conditionally formats the data points or cells themselves. This makes Threshold ideal for tables — where a reference line is not meaningful — and unsuitable for chart types that don’t expose individual values for formatting.
Blink applies on the real-time page only. The Blink toggle activates a continuous blink effect on the real-time (Dashboard) view of the Chart. The Designer preview does not render the blink animation.