Project Goals
Set OKR-style goals with outcome, output, or process types - track progress automatically from Key Results, linked milestones, or both, with per-goal priority that rolls up to the project's overall priority.
Goals in PrimeTask are the "what we're trying to achieve" layer of your project. Built around the OKR framework (Objectives and Key Results), each goal pairs a clear objective with measurable Key Results, an optional target date, and - when you want more structure - links to one or more milestones. Goals track progress automatically from their Key Results, their linked milestones, or a blend of both.
Goals differ from milestones in one important way: goals don't require a deadline. A goal can be long-running (improve retention, grow revenue, reduce support tickets) while the milestones under it have concrete due dates. For milestones, see Project Milestones.
Goals describe outcomes
Use goals for the result you want, then use milestones and tasks for the dated checkpoints and work behind that result.
What you can do
Create goals
with three strategic types - Outcome, Output, or Process
Define Key Results
quantifiable metrics with a starting value, a target, and a current value that updates progress automatically
Link goals to milestones
progress rolls up from linked milestones (or averages with Key Result progress when both exist)
Set priority
Critical, High, Medium, or Low - with goal priorities rolling up to determine the project's overall priority
Track status automatically
not_started, on_track, at_risk, behind, or completed - derived from progress and target date
Manage goals
from the Goals tab (full list view) or inline from the Overview tab
Use the Goal modal
for full editing of metadata, Key Results, and milestone links
Use the Goal slide panel
for focused milestone-linking work with inline task previews
Drag to reorder
goals in the list
Set an optional target date
when you want deadline-driven urgency
Add tags
for filtering and grouping
Goal types
Every goal has one of three types, each reflecting a different kind of outcome:
| Type | What it represents | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | A strategic business result - the impact you want | "Increase monthly active users by 30%" |
| Output | A tangible deliverable or shipped thing | "Launch the new pricing page" |
| Process | An operational improvement or way of working | "Cut average response time to under 2 hours" |
Pick the type that best describes what success looks like. Type doesn't change the progress calculation - it's a classification for reporting and filtering.
Pick the type by intent
Use Outcome for measurable impact, Output for deliverables, and Process for operational improvements.
Key Results
Key Results are the measurable signals that show whether a goal is being achieved. Each Key Result has:
- Title - what you're measuring ("Monthly sign-ups", "Customer NPS score")
- Metric - the unit of measurement (free-form -
users,%,$,tickets/day, anything) - Start value - the baseline when you created the Key Result
- Target value - where you want to end up
- Current value - where you are right now
You can add, edit, and remove Key Results from the Goal modal. There's no hard cap on how many Key Results a goal can have.
How Key Result progress is calculated
Each Key Result's progress is computed with a simple formula:
progress = ((current - start) / (target - start)) × 100The result is clamped between 0 and 100 and rounded to the nearest whole number. Special case: if the start value equals the target value, progress is 100 when the current value reaches the target, 0 otherwise.
Example: A Key Result with start = 500, target = 1000, current = 650 → ((650 - 500) / (1000 - 500)) × 100 = 30%.
Updating Key Result values
Update the current value from the Goals tab inline (via a slider or number input) or from the Goal modal. Progress recalculates automatically - there's no manual save for the progress number itself.
Update Key Results as evidence changes
Goal progress depends on current values, so keep Key Results current during project reviews.
Goal progress calculation
A goal's overall progress is computed automatically - you don't set it manually. The calculation blends Key Results and linked milestones:
- Key Results only - progress is the average of all Key Result progress values
- Linked milestones only - progress is the average of all linked milestone progress values
- Both Key Results and linked milestones - progress is the average of the two averages (50/50 blend)
- Neither - falls back to the stored progress value (or 0 if never set)
Example: A goal with three Key Results at 40%, 60%, and 80% (average = 60%) linked to two milestones at 50% and 70% (average = 60%) has a computed goal progress of 60% (60 + 60) / 2.
See Project Health & Progress for how goal progress feeds into the project's overall progress.
Goal statuses - auto-derived
Goal status is not a value you set - it's computed from progress and target date:
| Status | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Completed | Progress is 100% |
| Behind | Past target date and progress < 100% |
| At Risk | Target date within 7 days and progress < 80% |
| On Track | Progress > 0 and none of the above |
| Not Started | Progress is 0 |
Status updates live as you move Key Result values and as linked milestones progress. The Overview tab's Health Assistant flags goals that are behind or at risk - see Project Overview Tab.
Goal status is automatic
Change Key Results, milestone progress, or target dates to influence status; you do not set the status directly.
Goal priorities and project priority
Each goal has a priority: Critical, High, Medium, or Low - set manually when creating or editing.
Goal priorities roll up to determine the project's overall priority (shown in the project header's Priority stat):
| Project priority | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Critical | Any goal is Critical |
| High | No Critical goals, but at least one High |
| Low | Every goal is Low |
| Medium | All other cases (or no goals) |
You don't set project priority directly - it reflects the priorities of the goals you've defined. See Project Header.
How to open goals
- Goals tab - press 3 on the Project Details Page, or click the Goals tab
- Overview tab - goals are editable inline in the left column of the Goals & Milestones widget (for shorter projects)
- Add Goal shortcut - press G anywhere on the Project Details Page to open the new-goal modal
- From the project header - click the Add Goal action button
The Goal modal
The Goal modal is used to create a new goal or edit an existing goal's metadata (title, description, type, priority, Key Results, and linked milestones). Fields:
- Title (required)
- Description (optional, multi-line)
- Type - Outcome / Output / Process
- Priority - Critical / High / Medium / Low
- Key Results - add, edit, or remove Key Results with title, metric, start value, and target value
- Linked milestones - checkboxes for every milestone in the project
Save commits the goal and closes the modal. Goal progress and status are calculated on render, so they update immediately based on your Key Results and linked milestones.
Target date
Target date is optional. If you set one, the status derivation uses it to flag the goal as Behind (past target) or At Risk (within 7 days with low progress). Without a target date, status is purely progress-based.
The Goal Linked Items slide panel
For focused work on linking milestones to a goal, use the dedicated slide panel. It opens from the Goal card's Link Milestones action.
What the slide panel shows
- Goal summary - description, type, priority, target date, progress bar
- Key Results list - read-only view of the goal's Key Results with progress bars
- Search - find a specific milestone by name
- Milestone list - every project milestone with a link/unlink checkbox
- Per-milestone progress bar and task count
- Expandable task preview - expand any milestone to see its linked tasks with inline status/priority dropdowns
Modal vs slide panel - when to use which
- Modal - for creating a goal or editing its metadata and Key Results
- Slide panel - for managing milestone links with rich context (seeing milestone progress and tasks while you link)
Both keep the goal's data in sync. Linking a milestone from either place updates both goal.linked_milestone_ids and milestone.linked_goal_ids - see Project Milestones.
The Goals tab
The Goals tab (key 3) shows every goal in a list with full rich cards:
- Drag handle to reorder
- Goal icon, title, description
- Progress bar with Key Result count
- Expandable Key Results section - click to see each KR with an inline slider or number input to update current values
- Meta badges - type, status, target date
- Link Milestones action that opens the slide panel
- Linked milestones preview (collapsible)
- Edit and Delete actions
Empty state
When a project has no goals, the tab shows an empty state inviting you to add the first goal.
Things worth knowing
Goals don't need a deadline
Unlike milestones, goals have an optional target date. Use a target date when the goal is time-bound; leave it blank for long-running objectives. Status derivation adapts - without a target date, the goal can never be "Behind" or "At Risk", only Not Started / On Track / Completed.
Two-way linking with milestones is synced automatically
When you link a milestone to a goal (or a goal to a milestone), PrimeTask updates both sides. Unlink from either side and both arrays are updated. You don't have to remember to sync them manually.
Status and progress update live
Every time you change a Key Result's current value or a linked milestone's progress changes (because its tasks moved forward), the goal's progress and status recalculate. There's no refresh step.
Project priority follows your worst goal
If you mark one goal as Critical, the project's priority immediately becomes Critical. This is intentional - your project's priority should reflect your highest-stakes goal.
You can mix Key Results and milestones
A goal can have Key Results and linked milestones simultaneously. PrimeTask averages them 50/50 to compute goal progress, letting you combine quantitative outcomes (KRs) with concrete deliverables (milestones).
The slide panel is read-only on Key Results
The Goal Linked Items slide panel shows Key Results as a read-only summary. To edit Key Result values, use the Goals tab's inline editors or the Goal modal.
Common questions
"Do I need Key Results for every goal?"
No. Key Results are optional. A goal with no Key Results but linked milestones tracks progress purely from milestones. A goal with neither falls back to the stored progress value (and won't update automatically until you add Key Results or milestone links).
"How do I update a Key Result's current value?"
From the Goals tab - expand the Key Results section on the goal card and use the inline slider or number input. The goal's progress recalculates the moment you change the value.
"What happens to progress when all Key Results hit their targets?"
Each Key Result clamps at 100%, so the average can go to 100%. When combined with milestones, the 50/50 blend means the goal reaches 100% only when both the Key Results average and the milestones average reach 100%.
"Can I set a goal's status manually?"
No - status is fully auto-derived from progress and target date. If you want to freeze a goal as "On Hold" or similar, you can simulate this by not linking milestones and leaving Key Results at start values.
"I linked a milestone to a goal but I don't see the goal on the milestone."
You should - the sync is bidirectional and immediate. If you see a mismatch, try closing and reopening the project. Linking from either the Goal side or the Milestone side updates both arrays.
"How does goal priority affect the rest of the project?"
Priority rolls up to the project header's Priority stat and is used by sorting and filtering. It doesn't change how tasks or milestones are handled, but it's the signal for humans about what matters most.
"Can I delete a goal without affecting its linked milestones?"
Yes - deleting a goal removes the goal and also removes its ID from the linked_goal_ids of any linked milestones. The milestones themselves stay intact, along with all their linked tasks.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Work with milestones and their task links | Project Milestones |
| See goal progress in the project context | Project Overview Tab |
| Understand how goals roll into overall progress | Project Health & Progress |
| See goal priority in the project header | Project Header |
| Add goals while creating a new project | Creating Projects |
| Navigate all 9 tabs and shortcuts | Project Details Page |
| Return to the Projects hub | Projects Overview |