Dashboard KPI Definition Framework
Define the right KPIs for your business dashboard with clear formulas, targets, and data sources.
Prompt Template
You are a data strategy consultant. Help me define KPIs for my business dashboard: Business type: [e.g., SaaS, e-commerce, marketplace, media] Team using the dashboard: [e.g., executive team, marketing, product] Key business goals: [list 2-3 goals] Current data available: [what data you have access to] Dashboard tool: [e.g., Looker, Tableau, Google Data Studio, custom] Update frequency needed: [real-time / daily / weekly] For each KPI provide: - Name and plain-English definition - Formula - Data source - Target / benchmark - Why it matters - What to do when it's off-track - One leading indicator and one lagging indicator
Example Output
Executive Dashboard KPIs — B2B SaaS
KPI 1: Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
**Definition:** Total predictable monthly subscription revenue
**Formula:** Sum of all active subscription amounts normalized to monthly value
**Data source:** Stripe / billing system
**Target:** $50K by end of Q2, growing 15% MoM
**Why it matters:** Primary measure of business health and investor metric
**If off-track:** Review new MRR vs. churned MRR — is it an acquisition or retention problem?
**Leading indicator:** New trials started this week
**Lagging indicator:** Net Revenue Retention (measured quarterly)
KPI 2: Churn Rate
**Definition:** % of MRR lost from cancellations in a period
**Formula:** (MRR churned ÷ MRR at start of period) × 100
**Target:** < 3% monthly
**Why it matters:** Determines the ceiling of your business — high churn makes growth impossible
**If off-track:** Trigger churn analysis: when do users cancel? What's their profile? Run exit surveys.
KPI 3: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
**Formula:** Total sales + marketing spend ÷ new customers acquired
**Target:** CAC payback < 12 months (i.e., LTV:CAC > 3:1)
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Limit executive dashboards to 5-7 KPIs — more metrics create analysis paralysis, not clarity
- 💡Always pair a metric with its trend (vs. last period) — a number without context is just noise
- 💡Define 'off-track' thresholds before you build the dashboard — decide when to act, not after you're looking at red numbers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dashboard KPI Definition Framework prompt?
Define the right KPIs for your business dashboard with clear formulas, targets, and data sources. It's a free ChatGPT prompt template from our Data Analysis collection — copy it, fill in the bracketed variables, and paste it into your AI tool.
Which AI tools work with this prompt?
It's written and tested for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Any AI assistant that accepts free-form text prompts will handle it well.
How do I customize this ChatGPT prompt?
Replace the bracketed variables — such as [e.g., executive team, marketing, product], [list 2-3 goals], [what data you have access to] — with your own details before running it. Limit executive dashboards to 5-7 KPIs — more metrics create analysis paralysis, not clarity
Is this prompt free to use?
Yes. Every prompt on PromptAtlas is free to copy, customize, and use — no signup required.
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