KPI
Key Performance Indicator
A metric selected to indicate performance against an important business or operational objective.
Plain English
A number the team watches because it reflects whether a priority is succeeding.
In context
A KPI needs a stable definition target owner reporting cadence and a clear link to decisions.
Example
“Trial-to-paid conversion is a KPI for the onboarding initiative.”
When you'll hear this
- business reviews
- operational dashboards
- goal tracking
Common misunderstanding
A KPI is not any available metric and optimizing it without context can create harmful behavior.
Also known as
key performance indicatorperformance indicator
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-27
