The KPIs on a reporting dashboard should match the goal of the campaign: ROAS and cost per purchase for sales, cost per lead for lead generation, and reach with CPM for awareness. Add a few supporting metrics that explain movement, and leave everything else off.
TL;DR
- Choose KPIs by campaign goal, then by the decision each one supports.
- Use three layers: outcome, efficiency and diagnosis.
- ROAS only means something next to your break-even ROAS.
- Spend belongs on every dashboard, as the cost side of every ratio.
- Five to eight KPIs is enough. More hides the ones that matter.
KPIs by goal
| Goal | Outcome KPI | Efficiency KPI | Diagnostic KPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | Purchases, purchase value | ROAS, cost per purchase | Conversion rate, add to cart rate |
| Leads | Leads | Cost per lead | Lead acceptance rate from your CRM |
| Traffic | Landing page views | Cost per landing page view | Link CTR, link clicks to landing page views |
| Awareness | Reach | CPM, cost per reach | Frequency |
| Engagement | Engagements | Cost per engagement | Video plays, ThruPlays |
What are the three layers of a KPI dashboard?
Think of the screen in three rows, top to bottom.
- Outcome. What you got: purchases, revenue, leads. This row is for leadership and clients.
- Efficiency. What it cost: ROAS, cost per purchase, cost per lead. This row is for the person managing budget.
- Diagnosis. Why it moved: CTR, CPM, frequency, conversion rate. This row is for the media buyer, and it can sit on a second tab.
A reader should be able to stop after any row and still understand the account.
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Try for Free ($0 Trial)What formulas should I use?
Write each formula on the dashboard so nobody has to ask.
| KPI | Formula |
|---|---|
| ROAS | Purchase value divided by ad spend |
| Cost per purchase | Ad spend divided by purchases |
| CTR | Clicks divided by impressions |
| CPM | Ad spend divided by impressions, times 1,000 |
| Conversion rate | Purchases divided by link clicks, or by landing page views |
| Frequency | Impressions divided by reach |
For example, $3,000 of spend and $7,500 of purchase value gives a ROAS of 2.5. With 75 purchases, cost per purchase is $40. These numbers are only an illustration.
How do I know if a ROAS number is good?
Compare it with your break-even ROAS. This is the lowest ROAS at which the ads cover their cost, and it depends on your margin: a business with thin margins needs a higher ROAS than one with fat margins. Our break-even ROAS calculator works it out. Put it on the dashboard as a target line. ROAS above the line is profitable on paper, and ROAS below it is not, whatever the industry average says.
Which KPIs should I leave off?
Leave off numbers that never change a decision. Typical candidates:
- Impressions and reach on a sales dashboard. They explain cost, but they are not the goal.
- Likes and reactions. They rarely connect to revenue.
- Raw clicks. Cost per landing page view or conversion rate says more.
- Anything your tracking cannot measure well. A KPI from a broken event misleads.
If you are unsure, move the metric to a second tab. It is still there if you need it.
How should KPIs behave across channels?
When one dashboard covers Meta, Google Ads and TikTok, use the same definitions for the shared KPIs, and label the attribution setting of each channel. Platforms credit sales differently, so the same purchase may appear in two channels. Compare channel KPIs against your store revenue, not against each other alone.
Where Madgicx fits
Madgicx supports this layered setup through One-Click Report, which brings Meta, Google Ads, TikTok, Shopify and Klaviyo data into one place and shares reports with clients by link or PDF. That lets you put store revenue beside platform-reported results. You choose the KPIs and targets.
FAQ
What is the most important KPI for Meta ads?
It depends on the goal. For sales it is usually ROAS read against your break-even ROAS, with cost per purchase beside it.
How many KPIs should a dashboard have?
Five to eight on the main screen. Put diagnostic metrics on a second tab.
What is the difference between a KPI and a metric?
A metric is any number you can measure. A KPI is a metric tied to a goal you are judged on.
Should I show CPM on a sales dashboard?
Yes, as a diagnostic. A rising CPM can explain a rising cost per purchase.
Do KPIs change by industry?
The goals change, so the KPIs change with them. A store tracks purchases and ROAS, while a service business tracks leads and accepted leads.
Related
- Answers: Reporting dashboard best practices
- Answers: Reporting dashboard examples for Meta ads
- Glossary: Marketing dashboard
Go deeper
The Facebook ads reporting guide has the full table of metrics by goal and warning signs for each.
