> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gowindmill.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure a review cycle

> Set the cycle details, stages, questions, peer nominations, and participants.

## Set the cycle details

The first setup step, **Select cycle details**, has these settings:

* **Name and description:** Give the cycle a clear name. Add a description when participants need more context.
* **Review period:** Choose the period of work that people should review. The default is the previous six months.
* **Cycle type:** Select **Official cycle** to run reviews with your company. Windy uses the results in 1:1s, later conversations, and future review context. Select **Test cycle** to check your setup. Windy does not use test results. Learn more about [test cycles](/features/performance-reviews/test-cycles).
* **Deadline digest emails:** Choose whether Windmill sends a weekday email about work that is overdue or due soon.

## Add stages and schedules

* **Stage type:** Add self, upward, peer, or manager review stages. A cycle needs at least one stage.
* **Number of stages:** Select **Add another** to add more self, upward, or peer stages. You can add only one manager stage. Each stage can have its own name and questions.
* **Schedule:** Set a start date and time for each stage. Select **Set a deadline** to add an optional due date. Stages can overlap.
* **Time zone:** Use one time zone for everyone or each employee's local time zone.
* **Peer dates:** A peer stage has separate dates for nominations and feedback. Select **Skip peer nomination chats** to collect nominations in Windmill without a Windy chat.

Learn more about [review stages and schedules](/features/performance-reviews/review-stages-and-schedule).

## Add questions

Each stage has its own setup step for its questions.

* **Question type:** Choose Text, Single Select, Multi-Select, Yes/No, Scale, eNPS, or Rating.
* **Question details:** Add a title, description, help text, and required setting.
* **Answer settings:** Configure choices, limits, scales, labels, or text-answer guidance based on the question type.
* **Employee visibility:** On manager-review questions, choose **Visible to employee** for the questions and answers the employee can see after sharing.
* **Sharing:** On the manager review stage, choose **HR enables sharing** or **Managers share directly with their direct reports**. You cannot change this choice after you create the cycle. Use **HR enables sharing** if you plan to calibrate. Learn more about [sharing reviews](/features/performance-reviews/share-reviews).

Learn more about [questions and rating scales](/features/performance-reviews/questions-and-rating-scales).

## Set up peer nominations

If the cycle has a peer feedback stage, the **Peer nomination settings** step follows the question steps. Choose who can add nominations, whether nominations need approval, the nomination and reviewer workload limits, and who can revoke or see nominations. Learn more about [peer nomination settings](/features/performance-reviews/peer-nominations).

## Choose people and assignments

* **Reviewees:** In **Select reviewees**, select the employees who will receive reviews. You can search, filter, and select people in bulk.
* **Stage participation:** In **Review assignments**, choose which stages apply to each reviewee.
* **Review period overrides:** Set a different review period for a specific reviewee when needed.
* **Managers:** Start with each reviewee's current manager or assign a different active workspace member.
* **Upward reviewers:** Start with active direct reports or choose other active workspace members.
* **Peer reviewers:** Reviewees, managers, or cycle admins nominate peers based on the peer nomination settings.

Learn more about [selecting reviewees](/features/performance-reviews/select-cycle-participants) and [review assignments](/features/performance-reviews/participants-and-assignments).

## Review and create the cycle

The **Review & create** step shows each stage, its participants, and its schedule. Select **Copy All Assignments** to copy the stage assignments to your clipboard. Fix any missing work, missing manager, invalid date, or archived workspace member before you create the cycle.

**Create cycle** creates an active cycle. There is no separate launch step. Each stage starts at its scheduled time.

Windmill saves the reviewees, managers, and assignments when you create the cycle. Later HRIS or org chart changes do not update this saved cycle data. Some question settings also become locked after review work starts.

After creation, cycle admins can change eligible dates, people, and assignments. Learn more about [managing an active cycle](/features/performance-reviews/manage-an-active-cycle).

## Change settings after you create the cycle

Open **Configure cycle > Settings** to change these settings:

* **Cycle type:** Change between **Official cycle** and **Test cycle**.
* **Cycle admins:** The person who creates the cycle becomes its first cycle admin. Select **Edit** next to **Cycle admins** to add more. Learn more about [cycle admins](/features/performance-reviews/cycle-administration).
* **Deadline digest emails:** Turn the weekday digest on or off.

Windy sends review work when each stage opens and can remind people about incomplete work. Learn more about [notifications and deadlines](/features/performance-reviews/notifications-and-deadlines).

## Recommended setup

* **Test first:** Run a [test cycle](/features/performance-reviews/test-cycles) with a small group before your first official cycle. This lets you see the messages and review pages that people will get.
* **Set deadlines:** Add a deadline to each stage. Windy automatically reminds people with incomplete work only when a stage has a deadline. Learn more about [notifications and deadlines](/features/performance-reviews/notifications-and-deadlines).
* **Keep HR in control of sharing if you calibrate:** Use **HR enables sharing** so that managers cannot share results before calibration changes are final. Use **Managers share directly** only if you do not plan to calibrate.
* **Limit reviewer workload:** Set **Requests before approval is required** so that one person does not get too many peer review requests. Windmill suggests 10 requests for each reviewer.

## Reuse a cycle setup

Duplicate a cycle to create a new cycle with the same basic setup. The duplicate copies the cycle details, stages, questions, visibility, and sharing settings. It does not copy answers.

Set a new review period, schedule, participant list, and assignments before you create the duplicate. To restart one review inside the same cycle, use a review reset instead. Learn more about [resets and locks](/features/performance-reviews/reopen-reviews-and-locks).