Write and submit check-ins

Last updated: September 4, 2026

A check-in records a goal's current value, a status and a short note, and it is how progress moves on Objectives, Key Results and Initiatives that are updated by hand. Click Check in at the top of a goal's detail panel, or choose Check-in from the goal's ⋯ menu in any list. Check-in reminders arrive in your Inbox on the goal's check-in rhythm, and you can also check in from Slack or by asking chat.

Submit a check-in

  1. Open the goal and click Check in (or ⋯ → Check-in in a list).
  2. Value. Enter the metric's current value; the field is labelled with the metric name and shows the target ("of $3.5M"). Progress-based goals take a percentage. Under the field, the update mode shows how this goal is normally updated (see below).
  3. Status. Rhythms suggests a status by comparing your value with the progress expected on this date; change it if you know better. Choosing Closed asks for a score.
  4. Note (optional). Write what changed. Click Draft to have Rhythms write a first version from recent activity and connected data, or Improve once you have typed something. You can @mention people and goals.
  5. Attach files (optional) with the paperclip in the note toolbar: up to 5 files, 10 MB each, 25 MB in total. Images, PDF, text, CSV, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files are accepted.
  6. Check-in date defaults to today. Pick an earlier date to record progress you forgot to log; future dates are not allowed.
  7. Labels (optional). Tag the check-in, for example "Blocker".
  8. Click Check-in.
Check-in form with value, status, note with a Draft button, and check-in date

Update modes

Each goal has an update mode, shown under the value field and in the goal's properties:

  • Manual update: you enter the value at each check-in.
  • Update from children: the value is rolled up from contributing children; see Understanding OKR Automatic Rollup.
  • Update from <connector> (for example "Update from Google Sheets"): the value comes from a connector; see How to Set Up Auto Updates.

On an automatically updated goal you can still check in to add a note or change the status. If you type a value, Rhythms asks whether to Keep updating from children (or continue updating from the connector) or switch the goal to manual updates.

Statuses

You can set six statuses at check-in: Not Started, On Track, Behind, At Risk, Closed and Postponed. In Progress is set by Rhythms on goals whose status is rolled up from children and cannot be chosen by hand. Status is always your judgement: 75 percent progress can be At Risk if a blocker will stop the last stretch, and 30 percent can be On Track if you are ahead of plan. Setting Postponed removes the goal from its parent's progress (its contribution weight becomes 0); use Closed instead if you want partial progress to count. Your Rhythms Admin may have renamed statuses; see Customizing OKR Status Labels.

Check-in rhythm and reminders

How often a goal expects a check-in is its Check-in Rhythm, shown as a pill on the goal (Every week, Every 2 weeks, Every month or Every quarter). The rhythm is inherited from the workspace or team setting; owners, their managers and Rhythms Admins can give a goal its own rhythm from that pill, including which reminders to send (when the window opens, at the midpoint, on the deadline date). Reminders go to the goal's owners, or to its delegates when it has any. See Check-in Rhythms and Per-Goal Check-in Reminders. You can check in as often as you like; the rhythm sets when a check-in is due, not a maximum.

Work through the check-in queue in your Inbox

  1. Open Inbox and choose the Check-in Reminders filter.
  2. Click a reminder. The check-in form opens with a pre-drafted value, status and note based on the goal's recent activity and connected data. Adjust and click Check-in.
  3. When more than one reminder is waiting, the header shows your position (for example "2 / 5") with previous and next arrows. Submitting moves you to the next goal; Cancel skips it and moves on. When the last one is done you see "All caught up!".

You can also ask chat: "Help me check in on my overdue goals."

Check-in labels

Labels let you categorise check-ins (Blocker, Milestone hit, External dependency, or whatever your team defines). In the check-in form, click the Labels field and pick or create a label. Rhythms Admins manage labels in Settings › Workspace › Labels; deleting a label removes it from check-ins but keeps the check-ins. In any OKR view, filter on Last Check-In Labels to surface, for example, every goal whose latest check-in is a Blocker.

Edit, delete and audit check-ins

The goal's Check-ins list shows every check-in with who made it. Click ⋯ on an entry to Edit the value, status, note, labels or attachments, or to Delete it. Anyone who can check in on the goal can edit or delete any manual check-in; the author can always edit their own. Only the author or a Rhythms Admin can change a check-in's date. Check-ins generated by rollup or a connector cannot be edited.

Every change is recorded in the goal's activity timeline: creating a check-in, "updated check-in value from $2.8M to $3M", date changes, and deletions. Deleting a check-in also removes its own timeline entries so the history stays clean.

What makes a check-in note useful

  • Say what changed since last time. "Completed 8 of 15 interviews; 6 want offline mode, which is not on the roadmap" beats "Made progress."
  • Explain the status when it disagrees with the number. "At 70 percent of pipeline target, but 60 percent is one stalled prospect. Marking At Risk."
  • Flag blockers early and name what you need.
  • Share what you learned, so others can reuse it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to check in if the Key Result has auto-updates? The value updates itself, but status and the story behind the number are still yours. A short note on the rhythm's cadence keeps reviewers from guessing.

Who sees my check-ins? Everyone who can see the goal, including in documents and reports built on it.

Can I backdate a check-in? Yes, set the check-in date to any past date. Future dates are rejected. Changing the date of an existing check-in is limited to its author or a Rhythms Admin.

Can a delegate check in for me? Yes. Delegates can create, edit and delete check-ins on the goals delegated to them; see Assign delegates to an OKR.

Where did "Check-in frequency" go? Per-goal "due every N days" was replaced by the Check-in Rhythm pill, which aligns due dates with your business calendar.

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