> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.topicflow.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Setting Up a Review Cycle > Create, configure, and publish a performance review cycle A review cycle coordinates one round of performance reviews across the organization: who takes part, what they are asked, when each step opens, and how people are reminded. It turns a one-time activity into a repeatable process that works the same way for ten people or a thousand. ## What a cycle coordinates * Which review types run — self-review, manager review, peer feedback, upward feedback * The evaluation period being assessed * Who takes part * A due date for each step * Reminders and completion tracking * Delivery of the finished review ## Creating a cycle 1. Go to the Reviews page and start a new cycle 2. Configure settings: * Evaluation period — the stretch of work being assessed (Q1 2025, Annual 2025, etc.) * Review type (360, manager-only, self-review, etc.) * Participants (entire organization, specific teams, etc.) * Deadlines (self-review, peer feedback, manager review) 3. Click **Save** or **Publish** If any required fields are incomplete when you click Save or Publish, the form highlights what's missing — switching to the relevant tab, scrolling to the first error, and marking incomplete sections with a red indicator. Tabs that contain errors also show a red dot so you can see at a glance which sections need attention. Participants receive notifications and deadlines are tracked automatically. ## Setting up a cycle in conversation You can also set a cycle up by talking to Topicflow AI. Describe what you want to run and it walks you through four milestones: the schedule and which review steps are enabled, the questions each review type asks, who takes part, and the reminder schedule. Each milestone is shown to you as a preview and is only saved once you approve it, and the assistant tells you what is still missing before the cycle can be published. The cycle stays a private draft throughout, and reminders set this way stay inactive until you publish it in the web app. ## A typical cycle * **Week 1-2:** Self-reviews and peer feedback * **Week 3-4:** Manager reviews * **Week 5:** Calibration * **Week 6:** Review delivery Before publishing, open the **Timeline** tab to see the whole schedule laid out day by day, so you can check the dates while there is still time to change them. ## Who can set one up, and who sees the results Creating and editing review cycles is normally limited to People Admins and organization admins. See [Roles and permissions](/settings/roles-and-permissions) for what each role can do. Once a cycle is running: * Employees see their own reviews * Managers see their direct reports' reviews * HR and People teams see all reviews, for reporting and calibration ## Best practices * Give participants enough time for each phase * Communicate expectations clearly * Track completion proactively * Use calibration to ensure fairness ## What's next Track a running cycle and close it when it's over Choose the right review format Ensure fairness across teams Configure the questions and rating scales a cycle uses