What are Goals and how to configure them?

Goals in NeoDash allow you to define quantitative objectives for specific metrics, such as Investment, Clicks, CPC, or CPM, within defined periods.

With them, you can track campaign performance in real-time, analyzing progress and pacing compared to the expected value needed to achieve the desired result by the end of the defined period.

This feature facilitates strategic monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

Overview

With the new goals system, you register the expected value for each metric, by period and by dimension, and track actual results against the goal directly in dashboards and the explorer. Everything is done in the Goals module, accessible via the side menu.

Concept	What it is
Goal	A set of expected values for one or more metrics, with a title, description, and tags.
Template	A reusable model that defines the dimensions (e.g., Brand, Retailer) and tags for a specific goal type.
Dimensions	Goal segmentations. Each row in the spreadsheet indicates which dimension values that number applies to.
Metrics	What is being measured: investment, revenue, clicks, CPC, etc. Each metric becomes a spreadsheet column.
Period	Start date and end date for each row.
Value spreadsheet	The grid where you type, paste, or import goal values, row by row.

Access and permissions

Access is controlled by user groups in the admin permissions screen, under the Goals section. No group automatically receives these permissions: an administrator must grant them.

Permission	What it enables
List	View the Goals item in the menu, open the screen, list goals and templates, download templates, and import spreadsheets.
Add	The Create goals button and the Duplicate goal action.
Edit	The Edit goal action.
Delete	The Delete goal action.
Create from scratch	Create a goal without a template. Without this, goals can only be created from an existing template.
Manage Templates	Create, edit, duplicate, and delete templates.

Users in the Super Admin and Support permission groups have all these permissions automatically.
Buttons you lack permission to use will not appear in the interface.
The Goals screen is not yet available on mobile devices or screens narrower than 1024px. Goal results on dashboards remain visible on mobile.

Goal Templates

A template standardizes the dimensions and tags for a goal type, so all goals of that kind share the same structure. Templates are found on the Goal Templates tab inside the Goals module. To create or edit templates, you must have the Manage Templates permission.

Creating a template

On the Goal Templates tab, click New template.
Fill in the Title (required) and, optionally, a Description.
Choose the Dimensions (at least one). These become the dimension columns in the spreadsheet for every goal created with this template.
Add Tags, if desired. Template tags are inherited by any goal created from it.
Click Save template.

Actions in the template list

Edit template: modifies title, description, dimensions, and tags.
Duplicate: opens a new template pre-filled with the original’s data.
Delete template: removes the template from the list, but existing goals using it remain intact.

If you close the form with unsaved changes, the system prompts you before discarding. Use the search bar above the list to filter by name, dimensions, or tags.

Creating and editing a goal

Goals are created in a form that opens at the bottom of the screen. You can drag its top border to adjust the form’s height.

Creating a goal

On the Goals tab, click Create goals.
Choose a creation method: Via Template (default) or From scratch (only appears for users with the Create from scratch permission).
Under Basic settings, fill in:
- Template: dimensions and tags come from it (only in Via Template mode);
- Title (required) and Description (supports rich text);
- Tags: template tags are kept, and you can add new ones;
- Dimensions: only in From scratch mode; in Via Template mode, these come from the template.
Choose the Metrics. Each metric becomes a column in the spreadsheet.
Fill out the value spreadsheet (next section). At least one row must be filled out.
Click Save goal.

When editing an existing goal, the Basic settings section starts collapsed to provide more space for the spreadsheet. Click its title to open.

Actions in the goal list

Edit: opens the goal in the same form.
Duplicate: creates a new goal pre-filled with the original’s data.
Delete goal: asks for confirmation and deletes the goal.

The search bar above the list filters by title, dimensions, metrics, and tags. The list also displays the period covered by each goal.

When a template changes

Altering a template’s dimensions doesn’t change previously saved goals. Each goal retains its old dimensions, and dashboards use that version until a user opens the goal and saves it again. Upon opening, the form compares the goal with the current template:

Template change	During editing	Upon saving
Gained dimension	Orange warning and a new, empty column in the spreadsheet.	The dimension becomes part of the goal.
Lost dimension	Red warning and the column highlighted with “Will be removed”. Blocked and excluded from downloads and totals.	The column and its values are deleted from the goal.

New dimension: fill out all rows. To save, every row needs at least one value for each dimension. If missing, “Select at least one value for each dimension (row N)” appears. In large goals, the fastest path is: download template, fill the column in Excel, upload template (choose Replace), and save.

Removed dimension: check for duplicate rows. Rows that were only differentiated by the removed dimension will share the same dimensions, and both will still count toward the goal. Use Regroup into one row or delete surplus rows.

Tags: upon saving, the goal receives the template’s current tags. A tag removed from the template remains on the goal.

Deleted template: the goal keeps working, and the template appears in the selector as “(Archived)”.

Changing a goal’s template: the system requests confirmation and immediately removes values not belonging to the new template.

Value spreadsheet

Each row in the spreadsheet states: for these dimension values, during this period, the goal for each metric is this number. The columns are dimensions, Start Date, End Date, and one column per metric. The footer displays the Total for each metric.

Filling it out:

Dimensions: click the cell to select one or more values from the list, or type a new value.
Period: click the date to open the period selector.
Metrics: type the value. Percentages are typed as they appear: 2.5 means 2.5%.
Add row: adds an empty row at the bottom.

Multiple values in the same dimension: The value of each metric applies to each dimension value selected in that row. If a row has two values in a dimension, the goal total is double the entered number. The footer total already considers this multiplication. Values in orange were not found in the current list.

Selecting rows: Click the row number to select. Hold Shift to select a range. The header checkbox selects all rows on the page.

Row actions

Action	What it does
Duplicate	Copies the row directly underneath.
Distribute by day, week, or month	Splits the row into one row per day, week, or month in the period, dividing the value equally.
Distribute by dimension	Breaks down a row with multiple dimension values into one row per value, each with the same number.
Regroup into one row	Merges rows with the same dimensions into a single row.
Delete	Removes the row, or all selected rows, with confirmation.

Readjust value (three-dot menu inside metric cell): changes the value for one day and redistributes the difference among future days with the same dimensions. The overall goal total does not change.

Large spreadsheets: Displays 100 rows per page with footer pagination and a total row counter.

Importing and downloading the spreadsheet

The fastest way to fill out a large goal is to download the template, fill it out in Excel, and import it back.

Download: Click Download template and choose Download as CSV or Download as XLSX.

Import: Click Upload template or drag the CSV/XLSX file over the spreadsheet. If rows exist, choose Add or Replace. Review and click Save goal.

File rules

Columns are recognized by name. Always start from the downloaded template.
Dates: accepts Excel date cells and text formatted as 12/31/2026 or 2026-12-31.
Numbers: comma or period as decimal separator.
One cell, one value: cell content is imported as a single value, even with symbols like | (e.g. Azzaro | Azz becomes one value).
Multiple values in a cell: enclose values in curly brackets or parentheses, separated by semicolons:

In the cell	Becomes
`Lancôme`	1 value: Lancôme
`Azzaro \| Azz`	1 value: Azzaro \| Azz
`{Lancôme; LAN FRAG}`	2 values: Lancôme and LAN FRAG
`(Amazon; Mercado Livre)`	2 values: Amazon and Mercado Livre

Calculated metrics

Metrics that are ratios, such as CPC, CTR, and CPM, are not typed in: the system calculates their goal values from their dependency metrics.

Metric	Calculated from
CPC	Investment ÷ Clicks
CTR	Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100
CPM	Investment ÷ Impressions × 1,000

When selecting a calculated metric, its dependency metrics are automatically added to the goal.
The calculated metric’s column is marked as Calculada and cannot be edited. Hover over it to see the formula.
The value recalculates on each dependency change. If no dependencies are filled in a row, the cell remains empty.
The footer total applies the formula to dependency totals rather than summing the column. Total CPC is total investment divided by total clicks.
In dashboards, the calculated metric goal is also computed from dependency goals.

Tracking goals in dashboards and the Explorer

Once saved, the goal appears in components configured to use it (charts, Big Numbers, and explorer tables).

Configuring the component

Field	Purpose
Use Goal	Enables reading goals from the new system in this component.
Enabled goals	Selects specific goals. When set, only these goals enter the component.
Goals enabled by tags	Selects goals by tags. Goals with any of the tags will enter.

If no goal or tag is chosen, the component uses goals whose dimensions match what it displays.

In Big Numbers, the Goal display style field defines appearance: Standard, Simple, Progress Bar, Ideal Pacing, or Progress + Pacing. Defaults to Progress + Pacing.

Value format in the explorer

In the explorer table, the goal appears in a target-icon badge next to the actual value. Configured separately for:

Reach metrics (volumes like clicks, impressions, investment): Default format is Percentage.
Control metrics (ratios like CPC, CTR, ROI): Default format is Number.

Format	What it shows
Number	The goal value.
Percentage	Percentage of the goal achieved by actual results.
Number and percentage	Both combined (large numbers abbreviated, e.g. 1.2M).
Difference from goal (absolute value)	Difference in metric units with prefix “dif.”.
Difference from goal (percentage points)	Difference in percentage points (useful for % metrics like CTR).

Colors

Green: actual result is better than goal.
Red: actual result is worse than goal.
Neutral: metrics without defined direction.

Respects metric direction (e.g. for CPC, CPM, and CPA, lower is better, so staying below goal is green).

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t see the Goals menu

Your group is missing the List permission, or you are on a mobile device or a screen up to 1024px wide. Request permission from an admin or use a larger screen.

The create, edit, or delete buttons are not showing.

Your group does not have the corresponding permission: Add, Edit, Delete, or Manage Templates.

I cannot create a goal from scratch.

Without the Create from scratch permission, goals can only be created from a template.

The total goal is higher than I expected.

Check if any row has multiple values in the same dimension: the value is applied to each one of them. Use Distribute by dimension to see one row per value.

I imported a file and a dimension value split in two.

In the current import format, each cell becomes a single value. For multiple values, use curly brackets or parentheses with semicolons, like {A; B}.

The goal is not showing up on the dashboard.

Check if the component has Use Goal enabled. If it has specific goals or tags selected, also check if your goal is among them. Additionally, verify if the goal’s period and dimensions match what the component is displaying.

I cannot edit the CPC or CTR column.

These are calculated metrics. Edit the metrics that they depend on instead.

I need to delete the entire spreadsheet.

Check the header checkbox, click Select all N rows, and then select Delete selected.

I accidentally closed the form.

If there were unsaved changes, the system will prompt you before closing. Once you confirm the exit, changes are lost.