Goals and conversions: when to use each

Learn when to use a goal, when to use a conversion, and when to use both together in the same journey.

What we'll cover

Concepts
Goals vs conversions
When to use both together
Quick decision guide
Use cases and business examples
FAQ
Need help?

1 Concepts

Why this matters
Goals and conversions can look similar at first, but they are best used for different jobs in a journey.

Simple rule
Use a goal to track a milestone you want to evaluate in the flow. Use a conversion to track a business outcome you want to measure as a result.

Note: Both goals and conversions are managed in Goals & conversions in the Journey editor.

2 Goals vs conversions

Use goals when:

You need to check progress in the middle of a journey
You want to route contacts differently based on whether they completed a milestone
You plan to use the Evaluate goal step

Use conversions when:

You want to record a business outcome at a specific point in the journey
You want to compare performance across paths, messages, or journey versions
You plan to use the Convert step

Key difference in practice
Goals are often used to decide what should happen next. Conversions are often used to measure what happened.

3 When to use both together

Common pattern
Many journeys use a goal to evaluate whether a contact reached a milestone, and then use a conversion to record the success on the winning path.

Example pattern
A journey sends follow-up messages, waits a few days, checks the Booked meeting goal with Evaluate goal, and then records a Booked meeting conversion with Convert before ending the journey.

Pro-tip: If your team asks, "What should happen next?", think goal. If your team asks, "Did this journey produce results?", think conversion.

4 Quick decision guide

Choose a goal if...
You need a milestone check in the journey flow.

Choose a conversion if...
You need to mark and measure an outcome in reporting.

Choose both if...
You want to make flow decisions and also track the final outcome clearly.

Warning: Do not create separate goal and conversion names that mean different things for the same business outcome. Keep naming consistent so the team can trust the data.

5 Use cases and business examples

Lead nurture: Use a goal for Requested demo to route contacts, and use a conversion for Booked meeting to measure success.
Trial onboarding: Use a goal for Started trial to branch the flow, and use a conversion for Started paid plan to track outcome.
Customer onboarding: Use a goal for Completed onboarding milestone to stop reminders, and use a conversion for Activated account to measure activation rate.
Renewal journey: Use a goal for Renewed to end the path, and use a conversion for Renewal completed to compare campaign performance.

6 FAQ

Can goals and conversions use the same business outcome?

Yes. Many teams use a goal and a conversion for the same outcome so they can both route the journey and measure performance.

Should I always use both goals and conversions?

No. Use the one that matches your need. Use both only when you need both flow logic and performance tracking.

What step uses goals in the journey flow?

The Evaluate goal step checks whether a selected goal has been achieved.

What step uses conversions in the journey flow?

The Convert step records a selected conversion for the contact.

7 Need help?

If you need help deciding whether something should be a goal or a conversion, contact support, and we can help you choose the best setup.