# Set up a review cycle

> Build a review form, then create a cycle that sets who is reviewed, by whom, how results are shared and when rounds run

An admin builds a form, then a cycle that decides who is reviewed, by whom and when.

## Build a form

1. Open **Performance → Forms**. Your own forms come first, then the four built-in ones,
   **Standard 360**, **Engineering 360**, **Quarterly conversation** and **End of probation**,
   each with a **Built-in** badge and its question count. A built-in form opens read only:
   choose **Use as a start** to add your own copy and edit that. **New form** starts a blank one.
2. Set the **Rating scale** that every rating question uses: 3, 4 or 5 points, 4 by default.
3. Choose **Add rating question** or **Add written question** and tick who it is **Asked
   of**: Self, Peer, Manager or Upward. Each question is a row you open to edit. A rating
   question describes every point under **What each point means**. A written question's
   **Answer length** is any number from 50 to 1,500 characters.
4. Optional: **Add Goals section**, where the person and their manager rate up to 5 goals.
   Check-ins stay monthly for every goal, not a setting on the cycle: one month after the last
   update, or after the goal was added. A round does not send a heads-up before it opens.
5. Choose **Save form**. Each problem shows on its field, with a count of the things to fix.

A form holds up to 6 sections and 20 questions, a Goals section counts as 5, and at least one
question must be for the manager. The answers asked of one group can run to 5,000 characters in
all. All four built-in forms include a Goals section, and the 360 forms ask upward questions.
A round keeps the version of the form it opened with. **Archive form** hides a form from new
cycles, and **Restore form** brings it back.

## Create a cycle

In **Performance → Cycles → New cycle**:

1. **Details**: a **Name** and the **Form**, yours or a built-in one copied into your forms on
   save.
2. **Who writes**: picking a form ticks the reviews it has questions for. **Manager review**
   is always on, and the form must cover each type ticked.
3. **Peer reviews**: **The person suggests** (default), for their manager to confirm, or **The
   manager picks**. **Fewest peers** is 3 and **Most peers** 5 by default.
4. **Upward reviews**: **Minimum responses**, 3 by default, is fixed at creation. A manager
   gets upward reviews only when that many of their direct reports can answer.
5. **Schedule**: **Runs** is **Once** (default), **Every 3 months**, **Every 6 months** or
   **Every 12 months**. A repeating cycle needs **First period starts**,
   and **Pause the schedule** keeps it from setting up or opening rounds.
6. **Who is reviewed**: up to 5 rules on Team, Country, Location, Job title, Role, Manager or
   Custom field, matching **Every rule** or **Any rule**. No rules means everyone. **Minimum days
   in the company** is 90 by default. **Always include** and **Always leave out** name people,
   and **Who this includes** shows who is left out and why.
7. **Sharing**: **Shared with the person when finished**, **The reviewer decides whether to
   share** (default) or **Not shared with the person**, and optionally **Ask the person to confirm
   they have read it**.
8. Choose **Create cycle**.

**Round dates** count days from the opening. Defaults: peers suggested within 3 days and
confirmed within 5 (chosen within 3 when the manager picks), self and peer reviews due 10 days
after, manager reviews due 21 days after, and close 30 days after that. A round opens the day
after its period ends by default, and keeps the settings and form it opened with. A repeating
cycle sets up each round 14 days before it opens. Until the round opens, you can move its dates
on the round's page.

The saved cycle opens on its rounds, with **Edit cycle** and, in the menu, **Archive cycle**. A
repeating cycle adds **Pause schedule** and lists the next round it will set up as **Planned**.
**Archive cycle** needs no open round, deletes a scheduled one and cannot be undone.

## Worked example

Marta picks Standard 360 for Northlake's Platform Q3 2026, which ticks all four review types,
keeps **The person suggests** for peers and adds the rule Team is Platform. **Who this
includes** shows the whole team. Jakub's four reports joined over 90 days ago, so they are asked
about Jakub. People with no line manager who can review them get an admin, so Marta checks who
lacks one.

> [!AGENT]
> List everyone in our workspace who has no manager set, with their job title.

## Related

- [Performance reviews](/docs/performance/overview/)
- [Run a review round](/docs/performance/run-a-round/)
- [Goals](/docs/performance/goals/)