Measures

You can use the measures parameter within cubes to define measures. Each measure is an aggregation over a certain column in your database table.

Any measure should have the following parameters: name, sql, and type.

Parameters

`name`

The name parameter serves as the identifier of a measure. It must be unique among all measures, dimensions, and segments within a cube and follow the naming conventions.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: count
        sql: id
        type: count
 
      - name: total_amount
        sql: amount
        type: sum

`title`

You can use the title parameter to change a measure’s displayed name. By default, Cube will humanize your measure key to create a display name. In order to override default behavior, please use the title parameter.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: orders_count
        title: Number of Orders Placed
        sql: id
        type: count

`description`

This parameter provides a human-readable description of a measure. When applicable, it will be displayed in Playground and exposed to data consumers via APIs and integrations.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: orders_count
        description: Count of all orders
        sql: id
        type: count

`public`

The public parameter is used to manage the visibility of a measure. Valid values for public are true and false. When set to false, this measure cannot be queried through the API. Defaults to true.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: orders_count
        sql: id
        type: count
        public: false

`meta`

Custom metadata. Can be used to pass any information to the frontend.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: revenue
        type: sum
        sql: price
        meta:
          any: value

`sql`

sql is a required parameter. It can take any valid SQL expression depending on the type of the measure. Please refer to the Measure Types Guide for detailed information on the corresponding sql parameter.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: users_count
        sql: "COUNT(*)"
        type: number

Depending on the measure type, the sql parameter would either:

Be skipped (in case of the count type).
Contain an aggregate function, e.g., STRING_AGG(string_dimension, ',') (in case of string, time, boolean, and number types).
Contain a non-aggregated expression that Cube would wrap into an aggregate function according to the measure type (in case of the avg, count_distinct, count_distinct_approx, min, max, and sum types).

`filters`

If you want to add some conditions for a metric's calculation, you should use the filters parameter. The syntax looks like the following:

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: orders_completed_count
        sql: id
        type: count
        filters:
          - sql: "{CUBE}.status = 'completed'"

`type`

type is a required parameter. There are various types that can be assigned to a measure. Please refer to the Measure Types for the full list of measure types.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: orders_count
        sql: id
        type: count

`rolling_window`

The rolling_window parameter is used to for rolling window calculations, e.g., to calculate a metric over a moving window of time, e.g. a week or a month.

Rolling window calculations require the query to contain a single time dimension with a provided date range. It is used to calculate the minimum and maximum values for the series of time windows.

With Tesseract, the next-generation data modeling engine (opens in a new tab), rolling window calculations don't require the date range for the time dimension. Tesseract is currently in preview. Use the CUBEJS_TESSERACT_SQL_PLANNER environment variable to enable it.

`offset`

The offset parameter is used to specify the starting point of the time window.

You can set the window offset parameter to either start or end, which will match the start or end of the window.

By default, the offset parameter is set to end.

`trailing` and `leading`

The trailing and leading parameters define the size of the time window. The trailing parameter defines the size of the window part before the offset point, and the leading parameter defines the size of the window part after the offset point.

The trailing and leading parameters can also be set to unbounded, which means infinite size for the corresponding window part.

By default, the leading and trailing parameters are set to zero.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: rolling_count_month
        sql: id
        type: count
        rolling_window:
          trailing: 1 month

Here's an example of an unbounded window that's used for cumulative counts:

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: cumulative_count
        type: count
        rolling_window:
          trailing: unbounded

`multi_stage`

The multi_stage parameter is used to define measures that are used with multi-stage calculations, e.g., time-shift measures.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: time_shift
    sql: >
      SELECT '2024-01-01'::TIMESTAMP AS time, 100 AS revenue UNION ALL
      SELECT '2024-02-01'::TIMESTAMP AS time, 200 AS revenue UNION ALL
      SELECT '2024-03-01'::TIMESTAMP AS time, 300 AS revenue UNION ALL
 
      SELECT '2025-01-01'::TIMESTAMP AS time, 400 AS revenue UNION ALL
      SELECT '2025-02-01'::TIMESTAMP AS time, 500 AS revenue UNION ALL
      SELECT '2025-03-01'::TIMESTAMP AS time, 600 AS revenue
 
    dimensions:
      - name: time
        sql: time
        type: time
 
    measures:
      - name: revenue
        sql: revenue
        type: sum
 
      - name: revenue_prior_year
        multi_stage: true
        sql: "{revenue}"
        type: number
        time_shift:
          - time_dimension: time
            interval: 1 year
            type: prior

`time_shift`

The time_shift parameter is used to configure a time shift for a measure. It accepts an array of time shift configurations that consist of time_dimension, type, interval, and name parameters.

`type` and `interval`

These parameters define the time shift direction and size. The type can be either prior (shifting time backwards) or next (shifting time forwards). The interval parameter defines the size of the time shift and has the following format: quantity unit, e.g., 1 year or 7 days.

YAML

JavaScript

    measures:
      - name: revenue
        sql: revenue
        type: sum
 
      - name: revenue_7d_ago
        multi_stage: true
        sql: "{revenue}"
        type: number
        time_shift:
          - interval: 7 days
            type: prior
 
      - name: revenue_1y_ago
        multi_stage: true
        sql: "{revenue}"
        type: number
        time_shift:
          - interval: 1 year
            type: prior

`time_dimension`

The time_dimension parameter is used to specify the time dimension for the time shift. If it's omitted, Cube will apply the time shift to all time dimensions in the query. In this case, only single time shift configuration is allowed in time_shift.

If time_dimension is specified, the time shift will only happen if the query contains this very time dimension. This is useful if you'd like to apply different time shifts to different time dimensions or if you want to apply a time shift only when a specific time dimension is present in the query.

YAML

JavaScript

    measures:
      - name: revenue
        sql: revenue
        type: sum
 
      - name: lagging_revenue
        multi_stage: true
        sql: "{revenue}"
        type: number
        time_shift:
          - time_dimension: purchase_date
            interval: 3 months
            type: prior
 
          - time_dimension: shipping_date
            interval: 2 months
            type: prior
 
          - time_dimension: delivery_date
            interval: 1 month
            type: prior

`name`

The name parameter is used to reference a named time shift that is defined on a time dimension from a calendar cube. Named time shifts are used in cases when different measures use the same time shift configuration (e.g., prior + 1 year) but have to be shifted differently depending on the custom calendar.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: sales_calendar
    calendar: true
    sql: >
      SELECT '2025-06-02Z' AS date, '2024-06-01Z' AS mapped_date, '2024-06-03Z' AS mapped_date_alt UNION ALL
      SELECT '2025-06-03Z' AS date, '2024-06-02Z' AS mapped_date, '2024-06-04Z' AS mapped_date_alt UNION ALL
      SELECT '2025-06-04Z' AS date, '2024-06-03Z' AS mapped_date, '2024-06-05Z' AS mapped_date_alt UNION ALL
      SELECT '2025-06-05Z' AS date, '2024-06-04Z' AS mapped_date, '2024-06-06Z' AS mapped_date_alt UNION ALL
      SELECT '2025-06-06Z' AS date, '2024-06-05Z' AS mapped_date, '2024-06-07Z' AS mapped_date_alt UNION ALL
      SELECT '2025-06-07Z' AS date, '2024-06-06Z' AS mapped_date, '2024-06-08Z' AS mapped_date_alt UNION ALL
      SELECT '2025-06-08Z' AS date, '2024-06-07Z' AS mapped_date, '2024-06-09Z' AS mapped_date_alt
 
    dimensions:
      - name: date_key
        sql: "{CUBE}.date::TIMESTAMP"
        type: time
        primary_key: true
 
      - name: date
        sql: "{CUBE}.date::TIMESTAMP"
        type: time
        time_shift:
          - name: 1_year_prior
            sql: "{CUBE}.mapped_date::TIMESTAMP"
 
          - name: 1_year_prior_alternative
            sql: "{CUBE}.mapped_date_alt::TIMESTAMP"
 
  - name: sales
    sql: >
      SELECT 101 AS id, '2024-06-01Z' AS date, 101 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 102 AS id, '2024-06-02Z' AS date, 102 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 103 AS id, '2024-06-03Z' AS date, 103 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 104 AS id, '2024-06-04Z' AS date, 104 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 105 AS id, '2024-06-05Z' AS date, 105 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 106 AS id, '2024-06-06Z' AS date, 106 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 107 AS id, '2024-06-07Z' AS date, 107 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 108 AS id, '2024-06-08Z' AS date, 108 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 109 AS id, '2024-06-09Z' AS date, 109 AS amount UNION ALL
 
      SELECT 202 AS id, '2025-06-02Z' AS date, 202 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 203 AS id, '2025-06-03Z' AS date, 203 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 204 AS id, '2025-06-04Z' AS date, 204 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 205 AS id, '2025-06-05Z' AS date, 205 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 206 AS id, '2025-06-06Z' AS date, 206 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 207 AS id, '2025-06-07Z' AS date, 207 AS amount UNION ALL
      SELECT 208 AS id, '2025-06-08Z' AS date, 208 AS amount
 
    joins:
      - name: sales_calendar
        sql: "{sales.date} = {sales_calendar.date_key}"
        relationship: many_to_one
 
    dimensions:
      - name: id
        sql: id
        type: number
        primary_key: true
 
      - name: date
        sql: "{CUBE}.date::TIMESTAMP"
        type: time
        public: false
 
    measures:
      - name: total_amount
        sql: amount
        type: sum
 
      - name: total_amount_1y_prior
        multi_stage: true
        sql: "{total_amount}"
        type: number
        time_shift:
          - name: 1_year_prior
 
      - name: total_amount_1y_prior_alternative
        multi_stage: true
        sql: "{total_amount}"
        type: number
        time_shift:
          - name: 1_year_prior_alternative

Named time shifts also allow to reuse the same time shift configuration across multiple measures and cubes where they are defined.

`format`

format is an optional parameter. It is used to format the output of measures in different ways, for example, as currency for revenue. Please refer to the Measure Formats for the full list of supported formats.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: total
        sql: amount
        type: sum
        format: currency

`drill_members`

Using the drill_members parameter, you can define a set of drill down fields for the measure. drill_members is defined as an array of dimensions. Cube automatically injects dimensions’ names and other cubes’ names with dimensions in the context, so you can reference these variables in the drill_members array. Learn more about how to define and use drill downs.

YAML

JavaScript

cubes:
  - name: orders
    # ...
 
    measures:
      - name: revenue
        type: sum
        sql: price
        drill_members:
          - id
          - price
          - status
          - products.name
          - products.id

Views Dimensions

Measures

Parameters

name

title

description

public

meta

sql

filters

type

rolling_window

offset

trailing and leading

multi_stage

time_shift

type and interval

time_dimension

name

format

drill_members

`name`

`title`

`description`

`public`

`meta`

`sql`

`filters`

`type`

`rolling_window`

`offset`

`trailing` and `leading`

`multi_stage`

`time_shift`

`type` and `interval`

`time_dimension`

`name`

`format`

`drill_members`