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A Variable is a named model quantity — a value you calculate, hold, or aggregate. It gives cfo.ai a consistent way to recognize, calculate, organize, and reuse that value everywhere it appears. Examples include:
  • Revenue
  • Cost of Goods Sold
  • Headcount
  • Gross Margin
  • Price
For help choosing between a value and a business category, see Choose between a Variable and a Dimension.

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Variables give model values meaning

A number such as 100,000 isn’t useful by itself. A Variable tells you what the number represents. When the Variable is Revenue, the value becomes Revenue of 100,000. Dimensions, Date, and Scenario add more context: Revenue of 100,000 for Sales in January 2026 in the Plan Scenario.

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Variables can come from data or formulas

A Variable can be:
  • Imported from a source system
  • Entered directly into the Model
  • Calculated from other Variables with a formula
The source can change without changing the business meaning of the Variable. Revenue remains Revenue whether it’s imported, planned, or calculated.

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Every Variable has characteristics

A Variable has a name and a data type, such as number, text, or date. Most Variables hold numbers, but a calculated Variable can also return text or a date.

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Variables are reusable

The same Revenue Variable can appear in a profit and loss statement, a chart, a forecast, and a formula. Because each place refers to the same Variable, the Model keeps a consistent meaning across Pages and calculations.

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Variables and formulas

A formula belongs to the Variable it calculates. A Gross Profit formula targets the Gross Profit Variable and references the Revenue and Cost of Goods Sold Variables.