What this article covers
This article covers how to configure KPIs and populate their values — manually, via Excel import, or via a connected Google Sheet. For analysing KPIs in Reporting, see KPIs in Reporting.
What types of KPIs can I configure?
KPIs are configured per row in Setup → KPIs. Each KPI has a Type:
Currency — monetary values (formatted with your reporting currency).
Number — numeric values without currency formatting (e.g., FTEs, units sold).
Percentage — values rendered as a percentage.
Title — not a value, but a grouping header used to organise KPIs (e.g., grouping all KPIs for a specific entity).
How do I create a KPI?
Go to Setup → KPIs.
Click Create new KPI (top right).
Set the KPIs:
Name — click the text field to edit.
Type — select Currency, Number, Percentage, or Title.
Reposition with the arrow icon, or delete with the bin icon, as needed.
How do I apply a KPI to the entire group vs to specific entities?
KPIs follow Reporting's entity filter logic, so you can apply them at group level or per entity.
Group-level KPIs — leave the entity filter on the KPI at the default *"Filtered Entities"*. The KPI will respond to whatever entity filter is active in Reporting.
Entity-specific KPIs — group them under a Title and assign the Title to a specific entity:
Click Create new KPI, set Type to Title, name it (e.g., "KPIs for Entity 1"), and assign the Title to the relevant entity.
Click Create new KPI for each KPI under that Title (e.g., "FTE Entity 1"), assign each to the same entity, and populate values.
This pattern is what Finstack uses when you want clearly separated KPI sections per entity in the overview.
How do I populate KPI values?
There are three ways to populate values: manual entry, Excel import, and connecting a Google Sheet.
Manual entry
In Setup → KPIs, click into any value cell and type, or copy-paste row-by-row from a spreadsheet (Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V).
Import from Excel
Click Import (top right), then Export current KPIs to download the template pre-filled with your current KPIs.
Update the values in the template. Instructions are at the top of the sheet. Formula cells are greyed out — don't edit them.
Upload the completed file back via the same Import button.
🚨 The import only overrides static values. Formulas are preserved and unaffected by the import.
Connect a Google Sheet
You can connect a Google Sheet to maintain KPI values outside Finstack — useful for collaboration or sheet-driven calculations.
In Setup → KPIs, click Link Google Sheet (top right).
Have a Google Sheet ready.
In Finstack, copy the service account email.
In your Google Sheet, share it (top right → Share) with that service account as Editor.
Back in Finstack, fill in a sheet Name, paste the Spreadsheet URL, and click Confirm.
Finstack creates a tab in the sheet called [Finstack] KPIs. The status badge shows Active when the connection is healthy.
To update values:
Click Open to view the sheet in Finstack.
Edit values in the cells with a white background. Cells with a grey background contain formulas — those are managed in Finstack.
Click Publish to Finstack (top right) to push the values back.
🚨 Always sync changes from one side to the other after edits. If you edit values in both Finstack and the sheet without syncing, the two sides will diverge.
🚨 A single Google Sheet can be connected to either a forecast scenario **or** the KPI section — not both. If you want to maintain forecast values and KPI values in sheets, use separate Google Sheets.
If you change the KPI structure in Finstack after connecting the sheet, click Reset sheet (top right). This recreates the [Finstack] KPIs tab based on the current structure. Existing data in that tab will be overwritten.
How do I add a formula to a KPI?
Click a cell to access the Fx field and type the formula.
Reference a class (mapped data from P&L, BS, CFS, or another KPI) by typing — the field auto-suggests matching options.
Use the blue dropdown to filter by entity, if applicable.
Combine with arithmetic operators (`+`, `-`, `*`, `/`) as needed.
Press Enter to confirm, then click Save to apply.
🚨 Formulas apply to the entire row and may overwrite existing values in that row. Use formulas only when the calculation should hold for every period.
How do I view a specific timeframe in the KPI overview?
Use the calendar icon (top right) to limit the display to specific months, quarters, or years.
How do I view KPIs in Reporting?
Go to Finance → Reporting → KPIs. The KPIs you configured here appear there. Use the entity filter to focus on KPIs for specific entities or groups.
See KPIs in Reporting for details on the Reporting side.
FAQ
Why don't my formulas get overwritten on Excel import?
By design. Excel import only updates static value cells. Formula cells are protected and remain unchanged — that's why they appear greyed out in the template.
Can a Google Sheet be connected to both a forecast scenario and the KPI section?
No. A single Google Sheet can be connected to either a forecast scenario **or** the KPI section — not both. If you want to maintain forecast values and KPI values via Google Sheets, use separate sheets.
Why does a formula overwrite values I had manually entered?
Formulas apply to the entire row. When you add a formula to a KPI row, it replaces the existing static values for every period in that row. Use formulas only when the calculation should hold for every period; otherwise stick with static values.