Formulas - API Documentation

Enterprise

This feature is part of Countly Enterprise. To get access, contact sales or compare versions. Existing customers can reach the support portal with questions.

Overview

The Formulas feature lets you define calculated metrics using Countly formula builder. Formulas can be saved, shared, executed on demand, and reused in widgets and report workflows.

Key Features

• Build custom metrics by combining multiple event/query sources.
• Save reusable formulas with metadata (title, key, unit, formatting).
• Control access with global and private visibility plus shared editor emails.
• Execute formulas ad hoc (unsaved, snapshot) or by saved formula ID (saved).
• Use long-task/report execution mode for heavier calculations and dashboard integrations.

Quick Links

Execute

• Formulas - Execute

Read

• Formulas - Read
• Formulas - List

Write

• Formulas - Save
• Formulas - Delete

Configuration & Settings

There are no formulas-specific plugin configuration keys in plugins/formulas/api/api.js. Runtime behavior is primarily controlled by request parameters, permissions, visibility rules, and long-task/report execution options.

Permissions & Visibility

• global: Visible to all users in the app.
• private: Visible to owner and users listed in shared_email_edit.
• Non-global admins access formulas via visibility rules (global, owner, shared email).

Execution Modes

Mode	Input	Use case
saved	metric_id	Execute an existing saved formula.
unsaved	formula payload	Execute an ad-hoc formula without saving it.
snapshot	formula payload	Execute ad-hoc formula in snapshot/report-style flow.

Workflow

1. Save a formula using Formulas - Save.
2. Run it with Formulas - Execute for selected buckets/periods.
3. Retrieve formula details or usage via Formulas - Read.
4. Use Formulas - List for dropdowns and catalog views.
5. Delete obsolete formulas with Formulas - Delete.

Performance Considerations

• More buckets and wider periods increase query cost and execution time.
• Enabling previous-period output increases processing and payload size.
• Complex formulas with multiple data dependencies can benefit from long-task mode.
• Long-task/report execution is recommended for heavy formulas used in dashboards.

Related Features

• Drill
• Dashboard
• Report Manager

Last Updated: 2026-02-15

Implementation details

Database Collections

Collection	Purpose
countly.calculated_metrics	Stores saved formulas and metadata.
countly.long_tasks	Stores long-running formula/report tasks and subtask data.
countly.widgets	Stores widget documents that can reference formulas.
countly.systemlogs	Stores formula create/edit/delete audit logs.