How do I delete a goal?

Mostly, Beeminder deliberately makes it difficult to delete goals. We're a commitment device: if you can get out of it by deleting your goal, then we're derelict in our duty!

Normally, if you want to end your goal, you need to archive it first via the Stop/Pause tab, subject to the akrasia horizon.

However, if the goal was created less than 7 days ago and isn't in No-Excuses Mode, you can delete it immediately using the "Delete now" button in the Stop/Pause tab below the graph. If you're deleting the goal because you were confused or something was buggy, you can let us know why in the freeform text box below. The support team often get in touch to chat about feedback sent through this box, so it's useful if you can let us know any details you remember.

If you're thinking of deleting a goal because something is buggy, consider contacting support first. They can often help explain or dig into problems, and it's easier for them to understand what went wrong if they can see your goal.

Screenshot of the Delete Goal section, in the Stop/Pause tab under the graph. Text says "Since this goal is less than a week old you can immediately and completely delete it. (After a week you must first wait through the archive process before you are able to fully delete a goal)." Then there's a question: "Why are you deleting this goal?" followed by radio buttons with options including "I just am", "Beeminder messed up", "I was confused about Beeminder", and "I'm abusing this loophole to get off the hook before I derail". There's a textbox for free-form responses. Below that, there's a message saying, "Wait! It's actually really hard for us to debug problems with your goal after you've already deleted it! If you're confused, or something seems broken, would you give us a chance to fix it first?" Followed by two buttons: "Just send feedback" or "Delete now (and send feedback)"

You can delete an archived goal immediately, using the "Delete goal" button on the goal page. If you don't see it, make sure you're logged into Beeminder, on the account that owns the goal!

Screenshot of a completed graph with the restart and delete buttons to the right of the graph image


Don't forget, if you're having any problems entering data, e.g. because something doesn't seem to be working right, you can get in touch with support so they can dig in and hopefully help you get things working again, either by emailing us, using the contact form, or by choosing the option to "just send feedback" rather than outright deleting a goal. You don't just have to derail or delete your goal; we're eager to figure out what's going wrong and uphold our end of the commitment contract!


Keywords: deleting vs archiving, when new goals can be deleted

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