Lesson 2 of 5 · 3 min
Linking KPIs to key results
Attach a key result to a live KPI, and know exactly which setting makes its progress update on its own.
Picking a KPI and letting a KPI drive the number are two different steps. Only one of them is optional.
Editing a key result opens a Type toggle — KPI or Custom — alongside Responsible and Status. Set to KPI, a KPI dropdown appears for choosing which one this key result is about (some KPIs carry a confidentiality warning here: linking one may make the key result invisible to part of the organisation). Choosing a KPI is what connects the key result to it for reference and reporting — it is not, on its own, what makes Actual update automatically.
That's a separate checkbox: Link progress to KPI. Its own tooltip states the mechanic plainly: "In the case of leading/lagging KPIs, you might want to update the Key Result progress manually. Unlinking the KPI will allow you to steer the progress, while maintaining a connection to the relevant KPI." Checked, Actual pulls from the KPI's live figures. Unchecked, Start, Target and Actual stay plain editable fields — the KPI is still attached for reference, but nothing pushes numbers into them automatically.
Status is manual regardless — a plain dropdown with six values: None, On track, At risk, Off track, On hold, DONE. Nothing in the product sets it from a rule; whoever owns the key result chooses it. Those six values themselves aren't fixed — they're configured in Settings, so if a status is missing, worded oddly, or the wrong colour, that's a question for your org admin.
Related OKRs also surface on My Dashboard (1.4), so a key result's progress is visible from the everyday landing page, not only from the Execution section.
- 1Type — KPI selected, Custom the alternative
- 2KPI — New MQLs, the metric this key result is attached to
- 3Start, Target, Actual — Actual reads 39, live from the KPI
- 4Link progress to KPI — checked, which is why Actual updates on its own
- 5Status stays "None" regardless — always a separate, manual choice
ValueWorks 2026.08
Takeaways
Choosing a KPI attaches it for reference. Link progress to KPI, a separate checkbox, is what actually makes Actual update automatically.
Unchecked, Start/Target/Actual stay plain editable fields — the intended escape hatch for leading/lagging KPIs you want to steer by hand while keeping the KPI reference.
Status is always a manual dropdown (None / On track / At risk / Off track / On hold / DONE) — never automatic, and its options are configured in Settings by your org admin.
Surfaces covered
- Choosing metric and status for a KR
- KR table: Key Results, Department, KPI, Status, Start, Target, Actual, Progress
- Related OKRs on My Dashboard ♻ 1.4
Micro-check
Two quick questions
Practice only — nothing here is scored or recorded.
1. You choose a KPI for a key result but leave "Link progress to KPI" unchecked. What follows?
2. A key result is linked to a KPI with "Link progress to KPI" checked. A new month's actuals land in ValueWorks. What should you expect?