> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.servicebooked.ca/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pipeline stages

> The kanban stages your deals move through — defaults, customization, and how to think about them.

The pipeline is your kanban board for active jobs. Each card is a **deal** — a specific opportunity you're working on for a customer. Stages are the columns that deals move through, left to right.

## Default stages

Out of the box:

| Stage         | Color | Meaning                                     |
| ------------- | ----- | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Lead**      | Gray  | Just landed, not yet qualified              |
| **Contacted** | Gray  | We've reached out                           |
| **Booked**    | Blue  | Job is on the calendar                      |
| **Proposal**  | Blue  | We've sent an estimate, waiting on approval |
| **Completed** | Green | Job is done                                 |
| **No Show**   | Amber | They didn't show up                         |
| **Cancelled** | Red   | They backed out                             |

These are starting points. Most owners rename or reorder them within the first week to match their actual workflow.

<Note>
  Pipeline stages live on **deals** and are fully customizable. They're separate from a contact's fixed [lifecycle stage](/contacts/statuses) — the dot badge on the contact itself that tracks how far along the relationship is (Lead → Qualified → Opportunity → Customer).
</Note>

## Customize stages

**Settings → Pipeline → Stages**:

* **Add** new stages
* **Rename** existing ones
* **Reorder** by drag-and-drop
* **Recolor** — the color shows on the kanban card and badges throughout the app
* **Delete** stages — deals in deleted stages fall back to the previous stage

A few example customizations:

* **Trades / contractors**: `Lead → Site Visit → Quoted → Booked → On Site → Completed → Cancelled`
* **Property management**: `Inquiry → Application → Lease Signed → Move-In → Active Tenant → Move-Out`
* **Cleaning / recurring**: `Lead → First Clean → Recurring → Paused → Cancelled`

## Stage colors

Stage colors are mostly cosmetic but they make the kanban scannable. Use:

* **Cool colors** (blue, purple) for "we're working on it"
* **Warm colors** (yellow, orange) for "needs attention"
* **Green** for "done / good"
* **Red / gray** for "lost / closed"

## Stage transitions are tracked

Every time a deal moves between stages, we log the transition. This drives the **Pipeline analytics** dashboard — average time in each stage, conversion rates, where deals get stuck.

[More on analytics →](/pipeline/analytics)

## Mapping form submissions to stages

A form can be configured to land its submissions in a specific starting stage. E.g., a "Quote request" form auto-creates a deal in the **Lead** stage; a "Repeat customer booking" form might skip straight to **Booked**.

Configure in **Forms → \[form] → Pipeline integration → On-submit stage**.

This only applies to NEW contacts. Existing contacts who fill out a second form don't get demoted back to an earlier stage.

## Auto-opening deals on new appointments

By default, every appointment the AI Receptionist books for a contact who isn't already in the pipeline opens a fresh deal in the **Booked** stage. The card title is the service name when the AI Receptionist captured one (e.g., "Drain cleaning"), or "New appointment" otherwise — you can rename it anytime.

The duplicate guard means you won't get a second card when:

* The customer already has an open (in-flight) deal — that one stays the source of truth.
* The AI Receptionist books a follow-up appointment as part of a job that's already in your pipeline.

A new deal **does** open when the customer's previous deal is **Completed** or **Lost** — that's a fresh job, not a continuation.

**Turn it off** in **Settings → Pipeline → Auto-open deals**. Recurring-service businesses (weekly cleaning, monthly retainer, subscription) usually want it off so a regular visit doesn't generate a new card every time.

## Required fields per stage (advanced)

We don't currently enforce required fields per stage — a deal can move to **Booked** without an appointment date set, even if that doesn't make sense logically. On the roadmap.

## Next

<Card title="Working a deal" icon="briefcase" href="/pipeline/working-deals">
  How to move a deal through your pipeline day-to-day.
</Card>