---
title: Utilization and margin targets
description: Set the utilization target and the profit margin target for your Toggl workspace, and see how each one colours the Utilization report, Profitability report and project dashboards.
---
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# Utilization and margin targets
## This guide explains the two workspace targets in Admin settings: the utilization target for billable time and the margin target for project profit. It is for workspace admins who set these benchmarks, and for managers who want to understand why reports mark some numbers as below target. By the end you will know how to set each target, which access levels can change it and where it shows up.
Toggl has two targets you set in **Admin settings → Tracking & Rates → Targets**. The **utilization target** is the minimum share of billable time you expect from each team member. The **margin target** is the minimum profit margin you expect from each project. Reports use them to show what is on track and what needs attention. Both are available on the Premium and Enterprise plans.
If you search Admin settings for "Utilization" or "Margin target", the search opens the Targets section.
### The two targets at a glance
| | Utilization target | Margin target |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **What it measures** | The minimum percentage of billable time expected from each team member | The minimum profit margin expected from each project |
| **Value** | A whole percentage from 1 to 100 | A whole percentage from 1 to 100 |
| **Value used until you set one** | 80% | 30% |
| **Who can change it** | Workspace admins | Workspace admins and Managers |
| **Where it shows** | Utilization report | Profitability report, project dashboards and recurring project dashboards |
### Set a target
1. Open **Admin settings** from the sidebar or your profile menu.
2. Under **Tracking & Rates**, open **Targets**.
3. Find the **Utilization target** or **Margin target** card.
4. Enter a whole number from 1 to 100 in the **Target** field. The % sign is already there.
5. Click outside the field. The value saves automatically, and there is no Save button.
Under the field, a hint called **In reports** shows how the number will be used, for example **Below 80%** and **80% and above**. It updates as you type.
If saving fails, Toggl shows an error message and puts the previous value back. Try again.
Targets are set per workspace. If your organization has more than one workspace, switch to the workspace you want before you change them.
### Where targets show up
#### Utilization target
The utilization target is the benchmark in the **Utilization** report:
- The top card shows utilization as a share of the target, for example "of 80% target".
- The chart draws the target as a dashed line, so you can see the gap between actual and target.
- In the member breakdown, values below the target are marked **Below target** (shown in red).
See [Utilization and Workload Reports](https://docs.toggl.com/utilization-and-workload-reports-in-toggl-2-0?hsLang=en) for how to read each part of the report.
#### Margin target
The margin target is the benchmark for profitability:
- In the **Profitability** report, the totals show your margin against the target, for example "of 30% target".
- The **Which projects need attention?** table lists the projects whose margin is below the target.
- In the breakdown table, each margin appears as a badge: green when it meets the target, red when it is below.
- On a project's **Dashboard** and on recurring project dashboards, the margin is compared with the target. Recurring dashboards also mark each period as above or below it.
See [Profitability Reports](https://docs.toggl.com/profitability-reports?hsLang=en) and [Project Dashboards](https://docs.toggl.com/project-dashboards-in-toggl-2-0?hsLang=en) for how margin is calculated. Margin needs a billable rate or fixed fee on the project, and it can also include labor cost. See [Billable rates](https://docs.toggl.com/billable-rates-in-toggl-2-0?hsLang=en) and [Labor cost](https://docs.toggl.com/labor-cost-in-toggl-2-0?hsLang=en).
### Who can do what
| Action | Workspace admin | Manager | Other access levels |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Change the utilization target | Yes | No | No |
| Change the margin target | Yes | Yes | No |
| See the targets in reports | Yes | Yes | Yes, for the reports and dashboards they have access to |
Access levels are explained in [Access levels in Toggl](https://docs.toggl.com/user-roles-in-toggl?hsLang=en).
### Plan availability
Targets are tied to the reports they feed:
- The utilization target needs access to the **Utilization** report (Premium and Enterprise).
- The margin target needs access to **project dashboards** (Premium and Enterprise).
On a plan without them, workspace admins see the Targets cards locked, with an upgrade prompt. During a trial of a higher plan, the cards are unlocked so you can try them. See [Toggl plans: what's included](https://docs.toggl.com/toggl-plans-whats-included?hsLang=en).
### Common questions
#### Why can't I see or edit Targets in Admin settings?
Only some access levels can change each target (see the table above), and both targets need the Premium or Enterprise plan. If the card is greyed out with a star icon, your plan does not include it. If the section is missing, ask a Workspace admin.
#### Can I set a different target for each project or team member?
Admin settings has one utilization value and one margin value for the whole workspace. There are no per-project or per-member targets there.
#### What do reports show if nobody has set a target?
Reports use 80% for utilization and 30% for margin until a target is saved.
#### Does changing a target change my past reports?
Yes. Reports always compare your numbers with the target that is set now, including for past periods. When you change a target, earlier periods are marked against the new value.
#### Is a margin target the same as a project alert?
No. Targets are benchmarks that colour reports. Project alerts email you when a project passes a threshold for time estimates or fixed fees. See [Time Tracking Reminders and Project Alerts](https://docs.toggl.com/time-tracking-reminders-and-project-alerts?hsLang=en).
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