# Record staff achievements and ranks

> PositiveForm guide · Staff · STAFF-003
> Canonical page: https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/staff-achievements-ranks/
> This Markdown: https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/staff-achievements-ranks.md

**Summary:** Record staff achievements and optional training rank history. Achievements and rank changes appear on the staff identity without granting permissions.  
**Who can do this:** Studio owners, Organization owners  
**Required access:** `organization.owner`  
**Where in PositiveForm:** `/settings/staff/:staffId/achievements`  
**Status:** Verified on 2026-07-29 against PositiveForm build `2ac7ef8`.

## Who this is for

This guide is for the **organization owner** recording what an instructor has
earned: ranks from other schools, certifications, awards, and other recognition.

These belong to the **person**, not to one of your programs. A rank a student
earns in your curriculum lives on their member record and comes from advancement;
see [Configure a progression](https://positiveform.com/guides/advancement/configure-progression/). This page is for
everything else the person brings with them.

Nothing recorded here grants any permission. An achievement is a credential you
are noting, not access you are giving.

## Before you begin

- Have the details to hand: what it is, who issued it, when it was earned, and
  a link if the credential can be verified online.
- Know the difference from training ranks. If the person also trains with you and
  their member profile is linked, their **Training ranks** appear on the
  **Identity** tab and are managed there.

## Steps

1. Click **Settings** in the left navigation, then click **Staff**, then click
   the person.
2. Click the **Achievements** tab. With nothing recorded it reads **No
   achievements yet**.
3. Click **Add achievement**.
4. Fill in **Title**, for example `Black belt`. This is the only required field.
5. Choose a **Type**. For a belt or rank, set the **Belt or rank color** so it
   shows the way your studio expects.
6. Fill in **Discipline or field**, for example `Taekwondo`, and **Issuer or
   organization** for whoever awarded it.
7. Add a **Credential link** if the award can be verified online. It must be a
   full web address.
8. Set **Date earned**, and **Expiration (optional)** for anything that lapses,
   such as a first-aid certificate.
9. Use **Description** for context the other fields do not capture.
10. Save the achievement.

To change one later, open it from the list and edit it. To take one off, remove
it.

## Expected outcome

PositiveForm confirms with **Achievement added**, or **Achievement updated** when
you edited an existing one, and the achievement appears on the person's profile.

It is part of their staff identity from then on: visible to anyone who can view
the profile, and unchanged by their roles, their teaching status, or their login
access. Removing one confirms with **Achievement removed**.

Recording an achievement changes nothing about what this person can do in
PositiveForm. Access is managed under **Permissions**; see
[Manage staff access](https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/manage-staff-access/).

## Screenshots

![Achievements tab for Casey Nguyen](https://positiveform.com/guides/media/STAFF-003/20260729T023800Z/001-achievements.webp)

## Recovery

If you save without a title, PositiveForm refuses with **Give this achievement a
title.**

If the credential link is malformed, the field is marked with what is wrong. Fix
it, or clear it, and save again.

If saving fails, you get **Could not save this achievement.** with the reason,
and your entries stay on screen.

If removing fails, you get **Could not remove this achievement.** and it stays on
the profile.

If you meant to record a rank the person earned in **your** curriculum, this is
the wrong page. Link their member profile on the **Identity** tab and manage
training ranks there, so the rank sits with their training history.

## Related guides

- [Maintain a staff profile](https://positiveform.com/guides/staff/maintain-staff-profile/) — the identity these achievements sit
  on, and where a linked member profile's training ranks are managed.
- [Configure a progression](https://positiveform.com/guides/advancement/configure-progression/) — the progressions that
  produce ranks inside your own programs.

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Source: PositiveForm customer guides, https://positiveform.com/guides/. 
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Guide index: https://positiveform.com/llms.txt.