Updated 30 October 2026: Rewritten around a specific planning or review task. Unsupported outcomes and attributed campaign stories were removed; examples are hypothetical. The original publication date remains.
Two reports can use the same label for different observations. A definitions register makes those differences visible before the team compares totals or uses them to change a campaign.
What belongs in a metric definition?
Record the source, event or record, counting rule, time scope and intended interpretation. State whether the measure counts people, sessions, actions or business records.
- Metric name and plain-language meaning.
- Source and collection conditions.
- Denominator for any rate.
- Time zone, date range and filters.
- Known tests, duplicates and limitations.
- Decision owner and review question.
Why should enquiry stages stay separate?
A click, successful form submission, delivered notification and qualified opportunity are different records. Define each with evidence rather than assuming a one-to-one relationship. Consent and collection conditions can also create reporting gaps.
Keep qualification tied to a real review of service fit and a practical next step. Do not infer it from a page view.
How should conflicting totals be investigated?
Compare definitions and boundaries first, then check known QA and duplication. Google’s funnel guidance illustrates how entry conditions change interpretation. A difference does not automatically prove that either system is broken.
Hypothetical example: a stored request exists but an optional-consent analytics event is absent. Record the distinct observations rather than manufacturing a matching event or deleting the request.
Which data should stay out of analytics?
Keep names, messages, email addresses and other personally identifiable customer information out of Analytics, as described in Google’s privacy guidance. Reconciliation can use appropriate internal records without copying their contents into reporting tools.
A practical prompt to adapt
“Build a definitions register from [metric names], [collection setup], [aggregate records], [date/time rules] and [known QA]. Flag ambiguous labels and mismatched counting units. State what each metric can and cannot support. Do not invent missing values or include personal enquiry information.”
Use our marketing measurement guide to connect these definitions with customer-journey checks.