Milestones are intermediate goals or achievements in a project or process. They are used to measure progress and provide an indication of whether the project is on track. Milestones can be used to mark the completion of specific tasks, such as completing a design document or testing a particular feature. They also can be used to measure overall progress, such as reaching certain levels of development or meeting key deadlines. Milestones help keep projects on track by providing clear goals and objectives that need to be achieved in order for the project to move forward.