--- title: "Get started with targets" slug: "get-started-with-targets" description: "Learn how to set measurable targets in your plan hierarchy, refine them, and manage throughout the year for effective team performance." tags: ["Target Management", "quota planning"] updated: 2026-10-07T15:36:26Z published: 2026-10-07T15:36:26Z canonical: "support.fullcast.com/get-started-with-targets" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.fullcast.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Get started with targets A target is a measurable goal you assign to a node in your plan hierarchy — a number, a person or team responsible for it, and a time period it spans. Targets can track quota, but they are not limited to quota: any measurable goal works. This article maps the path from an empty plan to a complete, refined set of targets, and links to the task article for each step. ## Before you begin - An active Fullcast subscription with the Targets module enabled. - A configured team or territory plan hierarchy with the nodes you want to set targets against. ### Choose your direction How you build your targets depends on where your numbers start. There are two directions, and each follows a different sequence: - **Top-down** — you start with a number at a parent node and push it down to the children. Distribution comes early. - **Bottom-up** — you start with numbers at the child nodes and sum them up to the parent. Roll-up comes last. Pick the direction that matches how your numbers are set, then follow that path below. Both paths share the same refinement step. > [!TIP] > Tip > > Best practice is to create targets from the top-most node in your hierarchy. Targets created at a child node do not appear on the **Targets** home page. Starting at the top node keeps every target visible and manageable from one place. Once you create the target, you can determine which nodes it applies to. ## Implement targets 1. **Create the target** — Create the target and define its value at the parent. For a bottom up target, create the targets and define their values at each child node. You can enter the value manually, import it from a CSV file, or build a formula that derives it from a metric. See [Create a target](/plan-and-pay/docs/create-a-top-down-target). 2. **Distribute the value down** — For top-down targets, push the parent value to the child nodes, either manually or by a metric-based proportion. See [Distribute targets top-down](/plan-and-pay/docs/distribute-targets-top-down). 3. **Adjust targets** — Make manual adjustments to individual targets or multiple targets, such as for uplift or over assign. manager buffer, etc. See [Refine your targets](/plan-and-pay/docs/get-started-with-targets-v2#refine-your-targets) below. Distributing a top-down number and having sales managers adjust individual values before you publish takes a specific sequence. For that order, refer to [Recommended order for building a top-down target](/plan-and-pay/docs/recommended-order-for-building-a-top-down-target). ## Refine your targets Refinement applies to both directions. Each of these is optional and applies on top of your set targets: - **Edit target configuration** — change a target's parameters, including the metric its progress is tracked against. See [Edit a target](/plan-and-pay/docs/edit-a-target). - **Apply a schedule** — allocate a target across a time period using a saved schedule. See [Apply a schedule](/plan-and-pay/docs/apply-a-schedule). - **Apply a ramp** — reduce an individual's target during their ramp-up period, based on a ramp profile and a coverage start date. A ramp layers on top of the schedule. See [Apply a ramp](/plan-and-pay/docs/apply-a-ramp). - **Set target minimums** — set a floor below which a target value will not fall. See [Set a target minimum](/plan-and-pay/docs/set-a-target-minimum). - **Preserve monthly values in combined targets** — when a target's formula references other targets, carry their monthly breakdown forward exactly instead of redistributing the combined total. See [Preserve monthly values in combined targets](/plan-and-pay/docs/preserve-monthly-values-in-combined-targets). - **Recalculate targets** — when an input changes (a formula metric, formula target, a schedule, or a ramp profile), select the affected nodes and re-derive their values. See [Recalculate and distribute top down targets](/plan-and-pay/docs/recalculate-and-distribute-top-down-targets-v2) or [Recalculate and roll up bottom up targets](/plan-and-pay/docs/recalculate-and-roll-up-bottom-up-targets-v2). ## Team-specific target options These apply when you're building targets in the **Teams** module: - **Add a placeholder for an unfilled role** — set a target value for a planned hire, transfer, or replacement before the coverage assignment exists. See [Add a TBx placeholder role to a team target](/plan-and-pay/docs/add-a-tbx-placeholder-role-to-a-team-target). - **Build territory-based targets in a team** — automatically calculate a person's total quota from the territories they're assigned to, instead of summing it manually. See [Create territory-based targets in teams](/plan-and-pay/docs/create-territory-based-targets-in-teams-v2). ## Track and report on targets - **View targets in detail** — explore the full hierarchy a target rolls up through, from the top-level goal down to individual reps. See [View targets in detail](/plan-and-pay/docs/view-targets-in-detail). - **Build a target report** — pull nodes, assignments, targets, and people into a single table for auditing. See [Build a target report](/plan-and-pay/docs/build-a-target-report). - **Export or import a target** — download target values as a CSV for offline review, an import template, or an audit record, or import updated values back in. See [Export and import targets](/plan-and-pay/docs/export-and-import-targets). ## Manage targets throughout the year - **Add target relief** — temporarily reduce a target to incentivize a rep, without changing the underlying goal. See [Adjust target relief](/plan-and-pay/docs/adjust-target-relief-v2). - **End or transfer a target** — when an employee moves, such as leaving the business or switching teams or roles, use the workflow that matches their situation to take care of their targets: - If they have a territory coverage assignment, use the [End Coverage workflow](/plan-and-pay/docs/end-coverage-for-an-employee). - If they don't have a territory coverage assignment and are leaving the business permanently, use the [Offboard Employee workflow](/plan-and-pay/docs/off-board-people-in-teams) in the Teams module. - If they're switching teams rather than leaving the business, move them in the [Teams module](/plan-and-pay/docs/move-people-in-teams), where you can choose to move, delete, or reassign their targets. - **Manually end a target** — stop crediting further progress on a target without deleting it, by zeroing out its remaining months. See [End a target by zeroing out remaining months](/plan-and-pay/docs/adjust-a-target-manually#end-a-target-by-zeroing-out-remaining-months). - **Delete a target** — permanently remove a target and its history. See [Delete a target](/plan-and-pay/docs/delete-a-target-v2). ## Related - [Inside Targets: A Practical Look at the Fullcast Quota Framework](/inside-targets-a-practical-look-at-the-fullcast-quota-framework.md) - [Targets](/targets.md)