The article analyzes an essence and a content of the incentive category in criminal proceedings. The aim of the study is to detect content features, to appoint incentive regulations in criminal proceedings, and to determine goal setting of implementing incentive forms in the framework of criminal procedural legal relations. Based on the analysis of general and theoretical understanding of a legal incentive and incentiveregulation, the author concludes that procedural conformism is the determinant of an incentive in criminal proceedings, and encourages the accused person to use active social and positive post-criminal actions. At the same time, the discretionary powers of authorized entities place incentive regulations in the categoryof incentives that encourage a person accused of committing a criminal act to fulfill the conditions of incentives enshrined by law. The conducted study shows that an incentive is only possible when it is implemented in the alleged form of criminal proceedings.