---
title: "Guide to the DX Core 4"
canonical_url: "https://docs.getdx.com/dx-core-4/"
md_url: "https://docs.getdx.com/dx-core-4.md"
last_updated: "2026-06-18"
---

# Guide to the DX Core 4
The [DX Core 4](https://getdx.com/core-4-reporting/) is a unified framework for measuring developer productivity that encapsulates ideas from DORA, SPACE, and DevEx.

Core 4 aligns leaders and teams on a small set of outcomes that balance speed, quality, impact, and developer effectiveness - and keeps the discussion anchored to improvements you can actually make.

## How DX calculates the Core 4

DX supports measuring most Core 4 metrics from either self‑reported snapshot data or system instrumentation. We recommend using system data wherever possible because it updates continuously and acts as a leading vs. a lagging indicator.

> **Note**: System-based Core 4 metrics are only available to customers using DX Data Cloud.

### At a glance

- **System‑based data**: Best for ongoing operations. Updates continuously, supports drill‑downs, and reduces recall bias. Acts as a leading indicator for change.
- **Self‑reported data**: Best for getting started quickly or validating perceptions. Collected during snapshots and useful when system coverage is incomplete.

## Where Core 4 appears in DX

The DX Core 4 show up throughout the product:

- **Dashboard**: Primary landing page of the app with specific views for group and organization leaders.
- **DX Core 4 snapshot report**: Historical exploration with trends and benchmarks.
- **Benchmark report**: Compare your Core 4 to external benchmarks.
- **Executive overview**: Roll-ups for leadership and periodic reviews.

> **Stability of history:** Outside of the Dashboard, system Core 4 metrics are frozen to a snapshot to keep historical views stable. For each snapshot, DX evaluates the metric over a 12‑week lookback window leading up to the snapshot date.

## Data sources by metric

Below are the current options for each Core 4 metric in the DX app.

> **Normalization & hygiene:** System metrics automatically exclude bot activity where identifiable and normalize per‑person in report views where appropriate. Minimum‑data thresholds and data‑freshness checks help prevent misleading results.



### Speed

- **What it measures:** Pace of code integration.
- **Self‑reported:** PR throughput—Average PRs merged per engineer/week (90‑day lookback).
- **System‑based:** PR throughput—PRs merged from SCM; bot PRs omitted; normalized per contributor in report views.

### Effectiveness

- **What it measures:** Developer experience & friction.
- **Self‑reported:** DXI—Self‑reported drivers via DX Snapshots.
- **System‑based:** — _(DXI is survey‑based by design)_.

### Quality

- **What it measures:** Reliability of changes.
- **Self‑reported:** Change fail percentage (self-reported)—% of production changes that degrade service (standardized DORA‑style question).
- **System‑based:** Defect ratio—% of PRs allocated to bug fixes (DX AI classification across SCM/issue data).

### Impact

- **What it measures:** Mix of work toward new capability.
- **Self‑reported:** Innovation ratio—% of time on new capabilities vs. other work (90‑day lookback).
- **System‑based:** Innovation ratio—% of PRs allocated to new capabilities (DX AI classification over SCM/issue data).
  

The following additional system-based calculation options will be coming soon:

- **Speed**: TrueThroughput®: The number of PRs merged per week, adjusted for complexity. PRs are weighted by DX AI.
- **Quality**: The % of production changes that result in degraded service, impairment, or outage—based on deploy and incident data.
- **Impact**: Jira allocation powered by system-data.

## Configuration

Admins on your account can configure whether system or survey-based metrics are used to calculate the DX Core 4. These settings will apply anywhere in the app where the DX Core 4 are displayed.

1. Go to **Settings** -> [**General settings**](https://app.getdx.com/admin).
1. At the bottom of the page, select how you want each metric of the DX Core 4 to be calculated.
1. Click **Update settings**.

## FAQs



### Why is DXI only survey‑based?

DXI captures developers’ lived experience—drivers of friction, flow, and cognitive load—which are best measured via validated survey items rather than inferred solely from systems.

### Can I mix calculation types across metrics?

Yes. Many customers run System for Speed, Survey for Quality/Impact initially, then switch to System as coverage improves.
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