For most countries dealing with the consequences of sea-level rise, a constructive discussion about actionable science is critical. There is a need to strengthen the lines of evidence for sea-level projections and at the same time there is a strong need for practitioners to understand which science they should rely on to plan adaptation actions. This manuscript outlines when scientific results may be considered actionable and discusses the risks in using novel results to inform decision-making. The case study discussed in the manuscript is also valid for other climate-change-related fields.