Archiving, closing, and deleting are three distinct ways to remove an objective from active use. Each action has different effects on the objective's data and your ability to interact with it afterward.
| Action | What happens | Can you undo it? | Data preserved? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archive | Freezes the objective at its current status and completion percentage. The objective displays an Archived label and no further updates are allowed. | Yes — archived objectives can be reopened at any time. | Yes — status, completion percentage, and key result progress are retained. |
| Close | Ends the objective and prompts you to rate it and add a closing reflection. The objective displays a Closed label. | Yes — closed objectives can be reopened. | Yes — status, completion data, rating, and reflection are retained. |
| Delete | Permanently removes the objective from 15Five. The objective no longer appears on the All Objectives page or in any reports. | No — deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. | No — all data associated with the objective is removed. |
When to use each action:
- Archive when you want to preserve the objective's state but stop all progress tracking.
- Close when the objective has reached its end date and you want to capture a final rating and reflection.
- Delete when the objective was created in error or is no longer relevant and you do not need to retain any record of it.