Create from a Blank Roadmap

In this article:

• Overview
• How to create a blank Roadmap
• How to set up your Levels and Competencies
• How to fill in each cell
• Things to keep in mind
• FAQs
• Who can do this

Overview

Starting from a blank Roadmap gives you complete control over the framework you build. A Roadmap is a grid: Levels run across the top as columns (the stages or job titles people progress through) and Competencies run down the side as rows (the skill areas you want to track). The cell where a Level meets a Competency holds the detail — the description, skills, behaviours and learning for that Competency at that stage.

If you would rather start from something and edit it, see Create a Roadmap from a Template or Create an Auto-Generated Roadmap.

How to create a blank Roadmap

1. Go to Roadmaps and click Create Roadmap in the top right.
2. Select Create blank roadmap from the dropdown.

3. The Roadmap is created straight away and opens in the editor titled New roadmap, with three Levels (Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3) and three Competencies (Competency 1, Competency 2 and Competency 3) ready for you to rename.
4. Click the title at the top of the editor and give the Roadmap a proper name. Use the Settings (cog) icon to add a sub title, description, department, rating scale and tags — see How to Edit Roadmap Details and Settings.

How to set up your Levels and Competencies

1. Click a Level title in the grid and type the role or stage it represents, then click the description beneath it and describe that Level.
2. Do the same for each Competency down the left of the grid — click the title to name the skill area, and the description below it to explain it.
3. Need more columns or rows? Click Add Level at the top right of the grid, or Add Competency at the bottom. Each is added at the end and titled Untitled level or Untitled competency until you rename it.
4. Hover over a Level or Competency to reveal its action icons: the chevrons move it one position at a time and the trash icon deletes it (with a confirmation). Deleting removes everything in that column or row.

Everything saves automatically as you type — there is no save button.

How to fill in each cell

1. Click the cell where a Competency meets a Level. The Competency Level Settings panel opens on the right.
2. Add a Description of what this Competency looks like at this Level.
3. Expand Skills to add the Key skills and Technical skills expected.
4. Expand Behaviours, click the Type to add behaviours box, type a behaviour and press Enter. Repeat for each behaviour — one per entry.
5. Expand Learnings to attach content, Events, Knowledge, Pathways or Forms, and optionally switch on Auto Assign — see Assigning Learning to Competencies or Behaviours.
6. Use Notes for anything internal you want to record against the cell.

7. Work across the row and down the grid until every cell that matters is filled in, then click the Unpublished button in the top right and select Publish — see How to Publish a Roadmap.

Things to keep in mind

• A blank Roadmap is not truly empty: it starts with three Levels and three Competencies as a scaffold. Rename them, delete the ones you don't need, and add more as required.
• Cells are created the first time you click into them, so a Roadmap can be published with some cells still empty.
• You don't have to fill in every cell before publishing, but a Roadmap must be published before it can be assigned to people or Teams.
• Editing Levels or Competencies on a published Roadmap sets it back to Unpublished; publish again so the changes reach active Roadmap assignments.
• Deleting a Level or Competency permanently removes the cell content in that column or row and cannot be undone.
• The Roadmap editor is available on desktop or tablet, not on mobile.

FAQs

Do I have to use the three Levels and Competencies it starts with?
No. Rename them to suit your framework, delete any you don't need, and add more with Add Level and Add Competency.

Do I need to save as I go?
No. Titles, descriptions, behaviours, skills and learning all save automatically.

Can I publish before every cell is complete?
Yes. Empty cells are simply blank on the Roadmap — but it is worth completing the Levels you plan to assign first.

What's the difference between a Competency and a behaviour?
A Competency is a skill area (a row in the grid). Behaviours are the observable actions that show that Competency at a particular Level, and they live inside the cell.

Who can do this

Owners, Admins, Managers and Content Managers can create and build Roadmaps. People Managers, Instructors, Employees and Restricted users cannot — the admin Roadmaps area is limited to the roles that can create or update Roadmaps. Roadmaps must also be enabled for your organisation.

Updated on: 25/07/2026