While defining the level metric the target attribute at which the metric should calculate is specified along with filtering and grouping options.

The filtering option is a way of specifying how the level metric interacts with the report filter.

This filtering option is classified into 4 types:
a. Absolute
b. Standard
c. Ignore
d. None

Scenario: Consider a report with filter on 2 cities of a state1 and 1 city of another state2 and showing revenue for the states using a level metric. Thus the report will only show data for the 2 cities of state1 and for the 1 city of state2 but at the state level rather than city level as we are using a level metric here.

a. Absolute filtering: If we specify absolute filtering in the level metric definition than the report will show data for all the cities of state1 and state2. This means that even we have a report filter to display data only for 2 cities and 1 city of state1 and state2 this absolute setting will override this report filter in way that the report shows complete data for the two states to which the cities in the filter belong.

b. Standard filtering: In case of standard filtering the report filter interacts in the usual way with the level metric and shows data only for the elements specified in the report filter.
In the above scenario the level metric will show data only for the 2 cities and 1 city and not all the cities of state1 and state2.