--- title: Thresholds for metrics description: In the context of metrics, thresholds refer to predetermined values or limits used to assess the performance of a metric. These thresholds are typically defined based on specific criteria or objectives and serve as reference points to determine whether the measured value or performance meets, exceeds, or falls below the desired level. locale: en-US canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/environmental-social-governance/thresholds-for-metrics.html release: australia topic_type: concept last_updated: "2026-03-12" reading_time_minutes: 3 breadcrumb: [Exploring GRC: Metrics, GRC: Metrics, Operational Sustainability Management \(formerly Environmental, Social, and Governance\)] --- # Thresholds for metrics In the context of metrics, thresholds refer to predetermined values or limits used to assess the performance of a metric. These thresholds are typically defined based on specific criteria or objectives and serve as reference points to determine whether the measured value or performance meets, exceeds, or falls below the desired level. Thresholds use color-coded indicators to signify different levels of performance or status. These colors help users quickly assess metric performance at a glance. While green traditionally signifies the metric is performing well, amber signals caution, and red signifies a critical situation, you can now customize colors for each threshold level to match your organization's monitoring requirements. ESG administrators, ESG program managers, and ESG metrics managers can define multiple threshold levels and assign unique colors to each level for precise performance monitoring. For example, you can create a threshold to monitor pollution levels. Using the condition builder, you can define when threshold breaches occur, such as when pollution values exceed 100 units or fall between 50 and 75 units. Each threshold level can be assigned a unique color to provide visual indicators in dashboards, list pages, and record pages. When pollution data meets these conditions, the system triggers configured actions. Thresholds only apply to quantitative metrics. **Important:** Threshold fields and metric status are not evaluated for ad hoc metric data tasks. For more information, see [Ad hoc metric data task limitations](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/environmental-social-governance/ad-hoc-metric-data-task-limitations.md). ## Types of thresholds The two types of threshold for a metric are static and dynamic: - Static: A static threshold for a metric or a metric definition refers to a fixed value used as a limit for tracking a metric. - Dynamic: Dynamic thresholds are specified in percentages and calculate variance based on previous period data. For example, if you track electricity consumption and the value in January 2026 is 700 kWh, you can define threshold conditions to monitor changes in subsequent periods. Using the condition builder, you can specify conditions such as "percentage change is between 5% and 10%" or "percentage change exceeds 15%." Each threshold level is assigned a unique color to provide visual indicators. When February 2026 data is collected and the percentage change from January falls within your defined conditions, the system displays the corresponding color indicator and triggers any configured actions such as sending notifications or creating issues. When the previous period value is null or zero, the system uses a configured variance base value to calculate the percentage change instead of skipping the calculation. For more information, see [Metric definition setting record fields](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/environmental-social-governance/metric-definition-setting-record-fields.md).  ## Threshold recalculation Editing a threshold recalculates the threshold rating and breach status for associated metric data or metric definition data. This keeps the ratings accurate to reflect current performance. Deleting or deactivating a threshold recalculates the threshold rating and breach status against any other threshold that still applies to the metric data or metric definition data. If no other threshold applies, the rating and breach status are cleared, and the threshold justification field on affected metric data tasks is hidden. In both cases, metric data that is already closed or completed keeps its existing rating. Reopening a metric data task or moving it to the Estimated state also recalculates the threshold rating and breach status, even though neither action changes the metric value itself. Threshold ratings also update in real time when you save or override a metric data value on a metric data task. A metric data task's rating can come from any threshold that applies to it, whether or not that threshold has breach monitoring enabled. Providing a justification comment in the threshold justification field is required only when the value breaches a threshold that has breach monitoring enabled. **Related topics** [Create a threshold for a metric](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/environmental-social-governance/create-a-threshold-for-a-metric.md) [Copy a threshold](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/environmental-social-governance/copy-thresholds.md)