In short
A progress board is a visual overview that shows a user's advancement across several goals, steps or areas at once. It can take the form of a map, a grid of tiles or a checklist with milestones. It shows the whole journey, not just a single percentage.
Why it matters for apps
A progress board answers two questions at a glance: how far have I come, and what is next. Seeing completed steps builds a sense of investment, and visible gaps invite users to fill them.
- Progress board vs progress bar: A progress bar shows one value moving toward one goal. A progress board shows many goals or stages side by side.
- Show the next step: Highlight the next open item so users know where to act.
- Use completion pull: Users tend to want to finish what they started. A board with a few open tiles makes that pull visible.
- Common mistake: Too many items. A board with dozens of empty tiles looks like a mountain, not a path.
Industry examples
Khan Academy shows learners their mastery across the skills in a course, so they can see which units are complete.
A fitness app shows a monthly board of workout types, with each tile filling in as the user tries a new class (hypothetical).
Build it with StriveCloud
In StriveCloud, milestones, achievements and levels hold the progress data, and stats track each step. Embeddable widgets and the page builder display that progress inside your app. Badges can mark each completed tile on the board.
Want to try this? See the Khan Academy playbook
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a progress board and a progress bar?
A progress bar shows progress toward one goal. A progress board shows progress across several goals or stages at the same time.
When should an app use a progress board?
When users work toward several goals or a multi-step journey, such as onboarding, a course or a seasonal campaign.
How many items should a progress board have?
Enough to show a clear journey without overwhelming users. A small set of steps is easier to grasp than dozens of empty tiles.