Skip to main content

Review Cycles Overview

Step-by-step guide to setting up and launching a review cycle

Cycles in the Reviews section are the core of Effy AI's review automation workflow.

A review cycle lets you set up and manage the entire review process in one place, including:

  • Review forms and questions

  • Reviewers and reviewees

  • Reviews sequence

  • Visibility and sharing options

  • Due dates and reminders

How to create a review cycle

  1. Go to Reviews in the left navigation.

  2. Click Create cycle.

    • Choose whether to generate a form with AI or create a custom form.

    • If you use AI, answer a few questions to generate a tailored review form.

  3. In the Forms tab, configure:

    • Review questions

    • The welcome screen (shown before the form)

    • Review types:

      • Self-review – the employee reviews themselves

      • Manager review – the direct manager evaluates the employee

      • Upward review – direct reports evaluate their manager

      • Peer review – colleagues provide feedback

  4. Add reviewees (people being reviewed) and assign reviewers (people providing feedback).

  5. In the Settings tab, set:

    • Due dates

    • Reminder schedule

    • Visibility and sharing options

  6. Click Send to launch the cycle.

How to duplicate (copy) a review cycle

To reuse an existing cycle's setup instead of building a new one from scratch:

  1. Go to the Reviews section and open the Cycles tab.

  2. Hover over the cycle you want to copy to reveal the Manage button on the right.

  3. Click Manage, then select Make a copy.

A duplicate is created (named "Copy - [original name]") that you can rename and adjust — its questions, participants, and settings carry over, so you only change what's different for the new cycle. The same Manage menu also lets you Archive or Delete a cycle. This is the fastest way to run recurring reviews.

Tips

  • You can create separate cycles per team or department, each with its own form. This does not increase cost — pricing is based on employees, not cycles.

  • For recurring reviews (for example, monthly or quarterly), duplicate a previous cycle, update the dates, and send. This usually takes just a few minutes.

  • Prefer a guided walkthrough? Watch our full video tutorial:
    👉 Video Tutorials

Did this answer your question?