Managing organizational alignment at scale can be time-consuming.
Instead of manually inputting individual goals one by one, you can use the bulk import feature to build multiple goals at once. You can also export goal progress at any time to share data externally or analyze performance trends.
Understand goal import rules
Before you prepare your import file, keep these system boundaries in mind:
Creation only: The import tool only supports creating new goals.
No modifications: You cannot update or modify existing goals through file imports. To edit goals, you must use the Grow interface directly.
Avoid duplicates: Re-importing a modified export file will not overwrite your existing goals — it will create duplicate entries in the system.
Important: If you want your imported goals to appear in upcoming performance reviews, the import must be successfully completed before you launch that specific review campaign.
Access goal imports by role
The path to access the import tool depends on your assigned permissions in the platform.
HR Managers (for all people)
1. Go to Grow > Goals in the left-hand navigation menu.
2. Click Import goals in the top-right corner.
3. Click Download an example file to get your template.
HR Managers (for selected groups or departments)
1. Go to My team in your left-hand navigation menu and then select the Goals tab.
2. Click Import goals to open the side import panel.
3. Click Download an example file to get your template.
Tip: To learn more about how permission levels dictate what you can see, see our guide on User roles and permissions in Grow.
Prepare your import file structure
Your import document must retain the exact title headers provided in the sample template. Customizing or adding new column headers is not supported.
Review how each mandatory and optional field behaves:
id (mandatory): A unique identifier for each goal row in the file.
parent_id: The ID of the parent goal (use this only if you are building a sub-goal).
owner (mandatory): The goal owner‘s unique ID or email address. This must match an existing user in the system.
title (mandatory): The clear name or title of the objective.
description: Additional details or context for the goal.
kind (mandatory): Define the goal type as either qualitative or quantitative.
status: The initial status. Use: not_started, on_track, at_risk, off_track, unachieved, achieved, or overachieved.
period (mandatory): The target time frame (e.g., 2026, S1 2026, Jan 2026).
start_at / due_at: The specific start date and deadline for the individual goal.
unit: (Mandatory for quantitative goals) The unit of measurement (e.g., %, €, upsells).
start_value: (Mandatory for quantitative goals) The baseline starting number (e.g., 0).
target: (Mandatory for quantitative goals) The target success number (e.g., 100).
value: (Mandatory for quantitative goals) The current progress value at the time of import.
priority: An urgency rating from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest).
weight: A positive structural integer greater than 1 (>1).
to_assess (mandatory): Input true or false to indicate whether this goal should be formally evaluated during review cycles.
File formatting and upload best practices
To ensure your data maps perfectly without failing, follow these technical best practices:
File type: Save your file in .xlsx format only. The maximum supported file size is 15 MB.
All columns required: Keep all columns in the spreadsheet, even if optional fields are left entirely blank.
Sub-goal limits: Goals can only have one level of sub-goals (Parent ➔ Child). Child sub-goals will automatically inherit the parent goal‘s dates by default. The parent_id cell must exactly match a goal ID present in the same file.
Date formats: Use DD/MM/YYYY for start_at and due_at columns. For the period column, use formats like Jan YYYY, Q1 YYYY, T1 YYYY, S1 YYYY, or YYYY.
Number format: In case of errors with the weight column, ensure you change the format of the numbers within it from Automatic to Plain text.
Uploading the file
Once your spreadsheet is ready, drag and drop the file directly into the designated upload area or click browse to select it manually from your device. Then click Import goals to finalize the process.
Important: The system processes imports as an all-or-nothing batch. Any validation error found in a single row will instantly cancel the entire import to prevent partial or corrupted data uploads.
Check your import confirmation email
Once the system processes your upload, an automated status report will be sent directly to your email inbox:
Success report: The email will confirm that the upload was successful and list the total number of goals created.
Failure report: If errors are found, the email will include an attached file highlighting the exact rows and cells that caused the conflict. Correct those specific issues in your file and try the import again.
Export your organization’s goals
You can extract goal metrics at any time to review completion numbers or present progress data to stakeholders.
1. Navigate to your primary Goals tab.
2. Click the Export dropdown menu located in the top-right corner.
3. Select your preferred export method:
Export with filters: Pulls only the specific goals currently visible on your screen based on your active filters.
Export all: Pulls every single goal you have permission to view, bypassing any active dashboard filters.
Once clicked, the system generates a tailored .xlsx file and delivers it directly to your email address.
Tip: Use our comprehensive dashboard filters to isolate exactly what you need before choosing Export with filters. You can filter data by Title, Period, Collaborators, Status, Groups & Departments, To assess, or Achievement progress.