Meta AdsKeep the list short
- Include only the terms that appear in this report. A glossary of 40 terms the report does not use is noise.
- Use the client's own words where they exist, such as revenue or sales, and say which one the report means.
- Put the terms in the order they first appear in the report, not alphabetically.
Write each line the same way
- Term, then one plain sentence on what it measures, then the formula in one line.
- Source and window: which tool or file, and which dates or attribution window it uses.
- Revenue basis: gross, net, or after discounts and refunds. Say it for every money term.
- What it does not count, in one short phrase, since most confusion sits in the exclusions.
Made-up scenario: the line for MER reads: total store revenue divided by total paid media spend. Revenue from the store's order system, net of refunds, for the same month as the spend. Counts all store revenue, including organic and email orders, and only paid media spend. A platform ROAS line in the same report uses platform revenue, so the two will differ.
Keep it current
- Review the glossary when a definition changes, and date the change in the report, so old and new numbers are not compared by mistake.
- Keep it in step with the internal data definitions sheet, but make the client version shorter and plainer.
What to write in the client report
- The glossary block at the end of the report, or in a sidebar, with one line per term used in the body.
- A line naming any term the report could not calculate, with the reason it is not measured.
