WorkMagic Goals let you define a performance target for each ad platform or tactic, and then track attainment directly on your attribution dashboards. Instead of eyeballing whether a channel is doing well, every row shows how actual performance compares to the number you committed to.
Goals also solve a harder problem: your target may be expressed in incremental terms (from a lift test) or in another model's terms (last click, ad platform reported), while your day-to-day reporting uses a different model. Goals can translate a target from one measurement lens into the model you actually report on, so hitting the number on your dashboard delivers the impact you intended.
Important: A goal is always tied to one specific reporting lens — metric, attribution model, date type, and attribution window. Attainment only appears on the dashboard when your dashboard settings match the goal's settings. Changing the reporting lens does not re-translate an existing goal; you'll need to edit the goal.
Use Cases
Use Case | Description |
Set a target you already know | You know the ROAS or CAC target for each platform or tactic and simply want it tracked on the dashboard. |
Convert an incrementality target into a reporting target | You know the incremental ROAS each channel needs to deliver. WorkMagic uses your latest lift test to translate it into the equivalent number in your reporting model. |
Convert a target between attribution models | You have targets in last click (or ad platform reported), but you report on a different model. WorkMagic uses historical data to translate them. |
Track attainment in context | See on-target / below-target status next to every platform, tactic, campaign, ad set, and ad. |
Keep goals current as tests complete | When a new lift test finishes, WorkMagic flags affected goals and offers an updated calibration to review and apply. |
Before You Start
Set from test requires at least one completed lift test with published results for that ad platform or tactic.
Set from model requires at least 30 days of attribution data.
Step-by-Step: How to Create a Goal
Step 1 — Open the Goals Module
There are two ways in:
Go to Insights > Omni Channel Attribution > Goal.
Or, from the All Channels or Ads dashboard, click Goal settings above the table.
If you haven't created a goal yet, you'll see an empty state with a Create goal button.
Step 2 — Define the Reporting Lens
These settings apply to the whole goal and determine how attainment is calculated.
Field | Required | Description |
Metric | Yes | The metric you're setting a target for. |
Track against | Yes | The measurement lens the goal is tracked in. Options: any WorkMagic attribution model (including the incrementality-adjusted model, if enabled for your account), Ad platform reported, or Custom (3rd-party attribution). |
Date type | Conditional | Available only when Track against is a WorkMagic attribution model. Choose Event date or Source date. |
Attribution window | Conditional | Available only when Track against is a WorkMagic attribution model. Choose 1D, 7D, or 30D. |
Breakdown by | Yes | The granularity you'll set goals at — Ad platform or Tactic. |
Notes on Track against:
Ad platform reported is only available for ROAS and Cost per order. Other metrics such as new customer ROAS aren't reported consistently by ad platforms.
Custom (3rd-party attribution) lets you record goals in an external measurement system, but these goals cannot be tracked on WorkMagic dashboards — use the output values in your own system.
Step 3 — Set a Goal for Each Platform or Tactic
Once the lens is defined, set a goal row by row at your chosen breakdown. Each row can use a different method.
Method | Use it when | What you enter |
Fixed goal | You already know the target in the reporting lens you selected. | The target value. |
Set from test | You have an incrementality target and want it calibrated to your reporting lens using lift test results. | Your incremental target. WorkMagic calculates the reporting-model equivalent. |
Set from model | You have a target in another attribution model and want it converted to your reporting lens using historical data. | Your target in the source model. WorkMagic calculates the reporting-model equivalent. |
If a method is unavailable for a row, the option is disabled — hover to see why.
Fixed goal
Enter the value directly. No calculation is applied.
Set from test
Your latest lift test shows how this model's reported number compares to real incremental impact. Your goal is adjusted so that hitting it in this model delivers the impact you intended.
Column | Description |
Observed — test result | Actual incremental performance measured during the test period. |
Observed — {track against model} | What the reporting lens showed for the same period, under the goal's date type and attribution window. Pre-filled for WorkMagic attribution model and ad platform reported; you enter it for third-party attribution. |
Goal — incrementality | You enter this. Your incremental target for this platform or tactic. |
Goal — {track against model} | Calculated by WorkMagic. This becomes the tracked goal. |
Calibrated from | The lift test used for the calibration. We always use the latest lift test for calibration. |
When it's unavailable:
The platform or tactic has no completed lift test.
Track against is set to the incrementality-adjusted model — that model is already calibrated to incremental impact, so no translation is needed. Use Fixed goal or Set from model instead.
Set from model
Field / Column | Description |
Convert from | The model your target is currently expressed in. Any WorkMagic attribution model, Ad platform reported, or Custom (3rd-party attribution). |
Reference period | The historical window used for the conversion. Defaults to the last 30 days. Must be longer than 30 days. |
Exclusion period | Optional. Exclude atypical stretches — promotions, outages, test periods — from the reference period. |
Observed — [convert from model] | Actual performance in the source model over the reference period. Pre-filled where available; you enter it for third-party attribution. |
Observed — [track against model] | Actual performance in the reporting lens over the same period. |
Goal — [convert from model] | You enter this. Must be expressed in the same lens as your Convert from setting. |
Goal — [track against model] | Calculated by WorkMagic. This becomes the tracked goal. |
Exclusion period rules:
Up to 5 exclusion periods per goal.
Each is at least 1 day and no longer than the reference period itself.
Exclusion periods cannot overlap.
At least 30 valid days must remain after exclusions, or the goal can't be saved. The remaining valid day count is shown as you add exclusions.
Step 4 — Apply the Goal
Once at least one platform or tactic has a goal, click Apply. The page switches to a read-only view, which becomes the default display for this goal. It shows:
The reporting lens (metric, track against, date type, attribution window)
The goal value for each platform or tactic
The method used for each row — Fixed goal, Set from test, or Set from model
From here you can:
Edit goal — return to the editor.
Track goal on dashboard — jump to the Ads dashboard with matching settings applied.
View history — every Apply creates a new version. Open the change list (date + editor) and click any entry to view that version.
Tracking Goal Attainment on Your Dashboards
Once applied, attainment appears on the All Channels and Ads dashboards next to the breakdown name and next to the goal metric. Hover for details.
Attainment Status
Status | Efficiency metrics (ROAS, NC ROAS, POAS, NC POAS) | Cost metrics (CAC, Cost per order) |
🟢 On target | Actual ≥ 100% of target | Actual ≤ 100% of target |
🟡 Slightly below | 80–100% of target | 100–120% of target |
🔴 Significantly below | < 80% of target | > 120% of target |
When Attainment Shows — and When It Doesn't
Situation | Behavior |
Dashboard settings match the goal's lens | Attainment displays. |
Dashboard settings don't match | Attainment shows "—". Hover: Goal attainment shows only when the model, date type, and attribution window match this goal's settings. Switch to those to see attainment. |
Track against = Ad platform reported | Attainment always displays, regardless of your dashboard attribution settings. |
Track against = Custom (3rd-party attribution) | Not supported on dashboards. Use the goal values in your own measurement system. |
Breakdown is at or below the goal's granularity | Attainment displays — lower levels inherit the goal above them (e.g. a tactic-level goal shows on its campaigns, ad sets, and ads). |
Breakdown is above or across the goal's granularity | Attainment shows "—". Hover: This goal is set by tactic. Attainment only shows at the tactic level and below. |
Keeping Goals Current
Goals don't expire, but the data behind them changes. WorkMagic flags two cases in the read-only view.
A new lift test has completed
If any row uses Set from test and a newer test is available, a banner appears:
New tests for {Meta Ads}, {Google Ads}, please review and apply the latest calibration.
Affected rows show a Review calibration button. The modal compares your current goal against the new calibration side by side. You can edit values in the new table before applying, then click Apply new to update. If Track against is ad platform reported or third-party attribution, you'll need to supply the observed value for that lens before the new goal can be calculated.
You'll also get a notification when a lift test completes and its results are published:
If the tested channel or tactic has no goal — a prompt to set one, with Go to goals.
If it has a goal set from test — a prompt to update it, with Review calibration (opens the comparison modal directly) and Manage goals.
New ad platforms or tactics are available
If your data scope or tactic setup changes, a banner appears:
New {ad platforms/tactics} available. Set goals in the goal editor.
Open Edit goal to add targets for the new rows.
Note: Changing any reporting-lens setting — metric, track against, date type, attribution window, or breakdown — clears all existing goal values, since the previous numbers no longer describe the same thing. You'll need to re-enter them.
Choosing the Right Method
| Fixed goal | Set from test | Set from model |
Starting point | A target already in your reporting lens | An incrementality target | A target in another attribution model |
Requirement | None | A completed lift test for that platform/tactic | 30+ days of attribution data |
Basis for translation | None | Latest lift test result | Historical data over your reference period |
Best for | Channels with a settled, agreed-upon number | Channels where you've measured true incremental impact | Migrating existing targets onto a new reporting model |
Stays current via | Manual edits | Review calibration when new tests complete | Manual edits, re-run against a newer reference period |