
Add Key Results
Add measurable Key Results, choose clear units, and use Check-ins so Objective progress can be reviewed honestly.
Key Results make Objectives measurable
Add Key Results after the Objective is clear. A Key Result should let the team decide whether the Objective is on track, at risk, or complete. It should not simply restate the Objective.
Use Key Results for numbers, percentages, dates, milestones, quality bars, or custom units that make sense for the team. Use Check-ins to update progress and explain what changed.
Availability and permissions
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Available on | Workspaces and plans with Goals/OKRs enabled. |
| Available for | Web app and desktop app. |
| Who can add Key Results | Members with permission to edit the Objective or Goals/OKRs area. |
| Who can update progress | Owners, collaborators, admins, or members with permission to Check in on the Key Result depending on workspace settings. |
| What can limit editing | View-only access, archived Session, missing Objective permission, filters, or deactivated workspace membership. |
Where to add Key Results
Open Goals/OKRs → Session → Objective. Add Key Results from the Objective row, detail view, or Key Result area available in your workspace.
If you cannot open the Objective or the add action is missing, check whether the Objective is read-only or whether the Session is archived. See Troubleshoot OKR permissions.
Write measurable Key Results
| Weak Key Result | Better Key Result |
|---|---|
Improve onboarding | Increase successful first workspace invite acceptance from 70% to 90% |
Make docs better | Publish 30 complete Help Center articles for workspace, collaboration, Inbox, Goals/OKRs, and AI Studio |
Reduce bugs | Reduce permission-related support escalations by 30% |
Launch faster | Cut launch review cycle time from 10 days to 5 days |
The better versions define what progress means. A reviewer can Check in with a value, status, and explanation.
Choose units carefully
Key Results can use different units depending on what you are measuring.
| Unit type | Example |
|---|---|
| Number | Publish 30 articles |
| Percentage | Raise activation from 45% to 65% |
| Currency | Reduce monthly vendor spend by $5,000 |
| Time | Lower response time from 48 hours to 24 hours |
| Days or business days | Reduce approval cycle from 8 business days to 4 business days |
| Milestone | Complete production rollout checklist |
| Custom unit | Train 12 facilitators or Review 20 canvases |
If you use a custom unit, write it so a future reviewer understands it. Imported or pasted OKR data can preserve custom units, so avoid vague labels like items when customer interviews or business days would be clearer.
Add one or many Key Results
Choose the entry path by the shape of the source:
| Source | Better path |
|---|---|
| One measurable outcome | Add one Key Result. |
| Several clean lines | Paste multiple lines where supported. |
| A full planning document | Use Import OKRs with AI so you can review a draft before saving. |
Before saving a batch, read each line. Planning notes often include tasks, owner notes, or commentary that should become Initiatives, canvas notes, or descriptions instead of Key Results.
When you paste multiple lines, keep each Key Result on its own line. If a copied spreadsheet includes owner names, comments, or meeting notes in the same text block, clean it up before saving so ALLO does not create noisy Key Results.
Connect Key Results to Initiatives
A Key Result says what outcome you want. An Initiative is the canvas attached to that outcome, where the team does the work expected to move it. Keeping those separate makes review easier.
Example:
Objective: Make workspace access understandable for admins.
Key Result: Reduce permission-related support conversations by 30%.
Initiative: Rewrite roles, sharing, deactivated access, and invite troubleshooting articles in a connected canvas.
The Key Result measures the outcome. The Initiative is the connected canvas for the work.
Move Key Results when the structure changes
During planning, you may realize a Key Result belongs under a different Objective or should appear in a different order. Where your workspace and permissions support it, use drag-and-drop in List or Tree view to reorder Key Results or move them to another Objective.
Clear search, filters, and custom sorting before moving items. Partial views can hide the surrounding Objective structure, and ALLO may disable drag-and-drop when it cannot safely show the full context.
After moving a Key Result, confirm it appears under the right Objective in List view and Tree view.
Check in on Key Results
Use Check-ins when progress changes. Update the value, status, and note. The note should explain what changed, what is blocked, or why the status moved.
If a Key Result uses a custom unit, compare the new value against the same unit. Do not mix hours, days, items, and percentages in the same Key Result unless the field explicitly supports that structure.
Permission and visibility notes
Someone can view an Objective without being able to add or edit Key Results. If the add action is not available, check edit permission.
A Key Result shows progress in multiple places, such as list, detail, graph, sidebar, or Snapshot views. After a Check-in, those views should align.
If a Key Result is connected to an Initiative, the connected canvas may require separate permission.
Common mistakes
Do not write Key Results as tasks. Create onboarding checklist is an Initiative. Increase onboarding completion to 90% is a Key Result.
Do not choose a unit that no one can update. If the team cannot measure it, the Check-in will become guesswork.
Do not create too many Key Results under one Objective. Too many measurements dilute the review.
Do not silently edit progress without a Check-in note when the change needs context.
Do not use a Key Result as an Initiative title. Publish 30 articles can be a Key Result if the count measures the outcome. Draft the workspace access article set is Initiative work and belongs in a canvas.
Recover when Key Results look wrong
If a Key Result is missing, clear search and filters, confirm the Objective and Session, and check archive state.
If a value looks wrong after import or paste, review the unit and current value before making Check-ins. Custom units may have been preserved from the source.
If you cannot edit, check your Goals/OKRs permission and whether the Session is archived.
If a Check-in does not appear, refresh the Objective and confirm whether it saved before re-entering the update.
If a Key Result appears under the wrong Objective after a drag-and-drop move, clear filters, refresh the Session, and move it again only if the latest structure still looks wrong. If multiple people are editing the Session, confirm who made the last structure change.
Related articles
- Import OKRs with AI
- Good OKRs vs bad OKRs
- Create an Objective
- Create an Initiative
- Check in progress
- Use Tree view
- Use Snapshots
- Troubleshoot OKR permissions