How to Create and Edit a Pipeline

Build the pipeline your deals move through: name it, add the stages, set how likely each stage is to win and put the stages in order.

A pipeline is the row of stages a deal travels through, from a first conversation to a won or lost deal. The Pipeline Configuration page in Settings is where you create one and shape its stages. The page describes itself in one line: Create pipelines, add stages, set colors, and drag to reorder. This guide walks through each of those.

1. 1

   Open Pipelines in Settings

   Open Settings and choose Pipelines. If you do not see Pipelines in Settings, your role does not include it, so ask an admin. The page is titled Pipeline Configuration.
2. 2

   Choose Add Pipeline

   Choose + Add Pipeline at the top right. The New Pipeline window opens. Next to it is a button called Clone from a template, which starts from a ready-made pipeline instead; that is a separate guide.
3. 3

   Name the pipeline

   Type the Pipeline Name, for example Web Leads. Create Pipeline stays off until you have typed a name. Choose it, or press Enter. If the pipeline cannot be created, the window shows the reason it was given, and nothing is added.
4. 4

   Add a stage

   Under the table of stages, choose + Add Stage. A new row opens with a box that reads Stage name. Type the name of the stage.
5. 5

   Set Forecast, Probability and Color

   On the same row, choose a Forecast of Open, Closed Won or Closed Lost. Set the Probability from 0 to 100; it starts at 20. Choose a Color from Gray, Blue, Cyan, Indigo, Purple, Green, Emerald, Teal, Yellow, Orange, Red or Pink. Then choose Add. If the stage cannot be created, the row says so.
6. 6

   Drag stages into order

   Each row has a small handle on the left. Drag a stage by it to a new place in the list. The new order is saved at once. If it cannot be saved, the page puts the stages back as they were and says so.
7. 7

   Edit a stage

   Choose Edit on a stage. Its name, forecast, probability and color become boxes you can change. Choose Save to keep the change or Cancel to leave the stage as it was. A probability outside 0 to 100 is refused with a message. On a narrow screen the same four fields open in a window called Edit stage.
8. 8

   Delete a stage

   Choose Delete on a stage. A window asks whether to delete it and tells you that a stage can only be deleted when it has no deals. If it has deals, the window says Cannot delete stage, tells you how many deals are in it and asks you to move them to another stage first. Otherwise choose Delete Stage to confirm.
9. 9

   Rename the pipeline

   Choose Edit beside the pipeline name. A window called Rename pipeline opens with the current name. Type the new one and save.
10. 10

    Delete the pipeline

    Choose Delete beside the pipeline name. The window asks whether to delete the pipeline and says it will be archived, meaning removed from your workspace. Choose Delete Pipeline to confirm.

A few things worth knowing

The default pipeline cannot be deleted. The delete window says so, and it shows the reason if you try.

Beside Edit and Delete, each pipeline has three more buttons: Manage Access, Stage Rules and Save as template. This guide does not cover them. The guide on using a pipeline template covers the other way to start, and the guide on managing your pipeline shows how your team then works with the stages you set up.

What you see on this page depends on your role. The names of stages, their order and their probabilities belong to your workspace, so your pipeline can look different from another workspace's. To record why a deal was lost, the guide on setting up lost reasons shows how.