> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.germainux.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # KPI Relationships > KPI Relationships define how KPIs are related to each other and help GermainUX identify signals that may explain changes in a KPI being analyzed. Service `Analytics` Availability 2014.1 or later > [card] [Relationship Types](#relationship-types) > > Kinds of linked KPIs > [card] [Configuration](#configuration) > > Set up linked KPIs > [card] [Pivot a Related KPI](#pivot-a-related-kpi) > > Segment a trend relationship > [card] [Configuration Recommendations](#configuration-recommendations) > > Best practices for linked KPIs ## Overview KPI Relationships define how KPIs are related to each other and help GermainUX identify signals that may explain changes in a KPI being analyzed. Relationships are used by the **Analysis Dashboard** to prioritize related KPIs and provide additional context during analysis and root-cause investigation. For example: | Source KPI | Related KPI | Relationship | | - | - | - | | User Click Failure | Mouse Click Error | Mouse Click errors may contribute to failed user interactions. | | Order Sync Issue | Salesforce API Error | API errors may provide context for synchronization issues. | | Shopify Conversion Rate | Checkout Page Load Time | Increasing page load time may be associated with decreasing conversion. | Relationships are directional. A relationship configured from KPI A to KPI B does not automatically create a relationship from KPI B to KPI A. ## How KPI Relationships Support Analysis When a KPI is opened in the **Analysis Dashboard**, GermainUX evaluates its configured relationships to identify signals that may help explain the KPI's behavior. Related KPIs can be prioritized using factors such as: * Deviation from baseline * Direction of movement * Relationship strength * Relationship type * Co-movement with the KPI being analyzed This helps investigators quickly identify KPIs that: * May contribute to the observed issue * Move with the analyzed KPI * Move in the opposite direction * Provide useful contextual events * Execute within the analyzed KPI's activity Instead of manually comparing multiple dashboards and KPIs, investigators can focus on the signals most relevant to the current analysis. ## Relationship Types | Type | Meaning | Example | | - | - | - | | **Contributor** | Changes or issues in the related KPI may contribute to changes in the source KPI. | Mouse Click errors contributing to User Click failures | | **Correlated** | The KPIs tend to move together without asserting that one causes the other. | API latency and page response time increasing together | | **Contextual** | The related KPI provides useful investigative context. | A deployment event occurring around the time of an error spike | **A relationship helps prioritize an investigation; it does not, by itself, prove causation.** ## Configure a KPI Relationship The easiest way to create a relationship is through the **Add KPI Relationship** wizard from the source KPI's configuration. **Germain Workspace > Left Menu > Wizards > Add KPI Relationship** 1. Open the KPI from which the relationship should originate. This is the **source KPI**. 2. Open **KPI Relationships**. 3. Launch the **Add KPI Relationship** wizard. ![KPI Relationship Wizard](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG/images/main/kpi-relationships/image-20260724-064009.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG\&q=85\&s=f7c5d4c8a16a0473740e29946669dd2d) KPI Relationship Wizard - GermainUX 4. Select the related KPI. 5. Configure the relationship. 6. Select **Finish** or **Save**. 7. Confirm that the relationship appears under the source KPI's **KPI Relationships**. ## Configuration | Field | Required | Description | | - | - | - | | **Name** | Yes | Unique name identifying the relationship and related KPI. | | **KPI** | Yes | KPI related to the current source KPI. | | **Type** | Yes | Contributor, Correlated, or Contextual. | | **Direction** | Yes | Expected direction of movement: Same or Inverse. | | **Strength** | Yes | Expected relationship strength: Strong, Moderate, or Weak. | | **Constraint** | No | Filter that must be satisfied for the relationship to apply, such as `userError == true`. | | **Field** | No | Field used to correlate instances of the two KPIs, such as `sessionId`. | | **Measure** | No | Measure evaluated for the related KPI, such as `avg(duration)`. If omitted, GermainUX uses the KPI's default numerical property or count when no property is available. | | **Show As** | Yes | Displays the related KPI as a **Trend** or **Marker** in the Analysis Dashboard. Trend is the default. | | **Child** | No | Indicates that the related KPI executes within the source KPI's context and supports nested activity in the Analysis Trace Timeline. | ### Direction | Direction | Meaning | Example | | - | - | - | | **Same** | The related KPI is expected to move in the same direction as the source KPI. | Error Clicks and failed User Clicks increase together. | | **Inverse** | The related KPI is expected to move in the opposite direction. | Page load time increases while conversion decreases. | Direction describes the expected numerical relationship, not whether the behavior is good or bad. ### Strength | Strength | Use When | | - | - | | **Strong** | The relationship is consistently expected and highly relevant to investigations. | | **Moderate** | The relationship is meaningful but may not appear in every situation. | | **Weak** | The relationship is indirect, occasional, or exploratory. | Strength affects prioritization in the Analysis Dashboard. Configure it based on observed behavior and domain knowledge rather than the importance of either KPI. ## Example Assume Mouse Click errors are a leading contributor to User Click failures occurring within the same user session. Configure the relationship on the **User Click** KPI: | Field | Value | | - | - | | **Name** | `MouseClickContributor` | | **KPI** | `Mouse Click` | | **Type** | `Contributor` | | **Direction** | `Same` | | **Strength** | `Strong` | | **Field** | `sessionId` | | **Show As** | `Trend` | | **Child** | Enabled | To include only Mouse Clicks associated with an error, add a constraint such as: `userError == true` ## Analyze Related KPIs Configured KPI Relationships become part of the investigation in the **Analysis Dashboard**. ![KPI Relationships: Analyze Related KPIs](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG/images/main/kpi-relationships/image-20260724-064426.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG\&q=85\&s=18fa0704d86fb3eb22421b584bb5fd5c) Depending on the relationship, a related KPI can be displayed as a **Trend** or **Marker**. ### Trend Use **Trend** when changes over time, deviation from baseline, or co-movement are important to the investigation. A related KPI can display: * Current value * Comparison with baseline * Trend * Deviation or health * Co-movement with the analyzed KPI Select a related KPI's trend to add it to the main chart and compare it directly with the KPI being analyzed. ![KPI Trends](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG/images/main/kpi-relationships/image-20260724-064640.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG\&q=85\&s=51c2ce56032dd7e5fc3aa18a82d16052) KPI Trends - GermainUX ### Marker Use **Marker** for discrete events where timing is more important than an aggregated trend. Examples include: * Errors * Crashes * Deployments * Configuration changes Markers are displayed on the Analysis Dashboard timeline. Select a marker to investigate the individual occurrence and compare its timing with changes in the analyzed KPI. ![Error Click Marker](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG/images/main/kpi-relationships/image-20260724-065414.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG\&q=85\&s=cc9c5e0fb8650d9a8dd9f37135332ec2) Error Click Marker - GermainUX ## Pivot a Related KPI A Trend relationship can be segmented using a Pivot to determine whether the relationship is concentrated within a particular population, application, technology, or environment. 1. Select **Pivot By** on the related KPI. ![Pivot By](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG/images/main/kpi-relationships/image-20260724-065546.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG\&q=85\&s=840beec4c3591bf7ecbb09b1b3e89070) Pivot By - GermainUX 2. Select a dimension such as **Country**, **Browser**, or **Server**. 3. Review the resulting segments. ![Pivot values](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG/images/main/kpi-relationships/image-20260724-065638.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG\&q=85\&s=62450753185244ce29e8bdc2ed792e0e) Pivot values - GermainUX 4. Compare their health, measure, count, and trends. 5. Select a segment to add it to the main chart. This can reveal, for example, that a performance issue associated with declining conversion affects only a particular browser, application version, server, geography, or user population. ## Filter Markers When Marker relationships are displayed, use **Filter Events** to control which events appear on the Analysis Dashboard timeline. ![Filter Events](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG/images/main/kpi-relationships/image-20260724-065720.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG\&q=85\&s=b5b59e9d1fedf883910b1c30e5cd625e) Filter Events - GermainUX You can: * Show or hide individual Marker KPIs * Filter markers by field values ![Error Click Marker](https://mintcdn.com/germain-ux/S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG/images/main/kpi-relationships/image-20260724-065414.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=S6CZjLTFu68xyZFG\&q=85\&s=cc9c5e0fb8650d9a8dd9f37135332ec2) Error Click KPI as Marker - GermainUX * Search for KPIs or values * Select or clear all markers Changes are applied immediately to the visible timeline. ## KPI Relationships and Root-Cause Analysis KPI Relationships provide one source of evidence for **Root-Cause Analysis**. A typical investigation can progress from: KPI Change Related KPIs Affected Population Individual Instances Trace / Session Replay Likely Root Cause Relationships help identify **where to investigate first**. The underlying events, transactions, traces, Session Replay, and other monitored evidence help determine what actually occurred. For example: **Conversion decreases** \ → Checkout Page Load Time appears as a strongly related KPI \ → Pivot identifies the affected browser population \ → Individual sessions are investigated \ → Session Replay and related transactions provide supporting evidence \ → Likely cause is identified This allows KPI Relationships to connect high-level business or experience changes with the detailed evidence available in GermainUX. ## Configuration Recommendations * Configure relationships on the KPI users will investigate as the **source**. * Use **Contributor** only when there is a credible contributing mechanism. * Use **Correlated** when KPIs move together but causation has not been established. * Use **Contextual** for events or signals that help explain the timeline. * Choose **Same** or **Inverse** based on expected numerical movement. * Use a correlation field such as `sessionId` when instance-level association matters. > [accordion] Show all 11 > > * Apply constraints to exclude irrelevant instances. > * Select a Measure that matches the analytical question. > * Use **Trend** for continuous or aggregated signals. > * Use **Marker** for discrete events. > * Validate relationships against historical examples before assigning **Strong** strength. ## Related Documentation > [card] [Root-Cause Analysis](https://docs.germainux.com/main/root-cause-analysis.md) > > Read more > [card] [Analytics](https://docs.germainux.com/main/analytics.md) > > More Analytics Features > [card] [KPIs, Pivots & Measures](https://docs.germainux.com/main/kpis.md) > > Read more > [card] [Manage KPIs](https://docs.germainux.com/main/manage-kpis.md) > > Read more ## Get Help > [card] [Contact GermainUX Support](https://docs.germainux.com/main/support.md) > > The GermainUX team helps you get up and running faster, empower your team, turn data into actionable insights, and optimize performance to deliver measurable business outcomes. > [card] Can't find what you need? > > Search all GermainUX docs with **Ctrl + K**, or use the feedback buttons at the bottom of this page to tell us what is missing. 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