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

# Pipelines

> Track contacts as they move through the stages of your process on a drag-and-drop board.

## What is this?

**Pipelines** turn contacts into trackable progress. A **pipeline** is a set of ordered **stages** that represent your process, shown as a board. Each contact sits in one stage at a time and moves forward as work progresses, so you always know who is where and what to do next.

<Info>
  Pipelines track **business state**, not conversation content. Messages live in [Inbox](/workspace/inbox/overview); Pipelines answer "where are we in the process?" The page requires the `pipeline:view` permission and an active channel.
</Info>

\[SCREENSHOT: pipeline-board — The Pipeline board showing a pipeline selector, stage columns with contact cards, and the Unassigned column]

## What can I do here?

* See summary counts: **Total Contacts**, **Unassigned**, **Total stages**, and **Total pipelines**
* **Create Pipeline** — new pipelines start with stages like *New Lead*, *Follow-up*, *Converted*, and *Not Interested*, which you can change
* Switch between pipelines with **Select pipeline**
* **Add stage**, **Rename stage**, or **Delete stage**
* **Rename pipeline** or **Delete pipeline**
* Search contacts on the board
* **Drag a contact card** to another stage to move it — or drop it in **Unassigned** to take it out of the funnel

Pipelines can model whatever flow your team follows:

| Pipeline           | Example stages                                                   |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Lead qualification | New → Contacted → Qualified → Converted                          |
| Sales              | Lead → Proposal Sent → Negotiation → Won / Lost                  |
| Support            | Open → In Progress → Waiting on Customer → Resolved              |
| Onboarding         | Application Received → Documents Pending → Verification → Active |

## How to use it

### Create a pipeline

1. Go to **Contacts → Pipeline** and click **Create Pipeline**.
2. Enter a **Pipeline name** — for example Sales, Onboarding, or Support.
3. Click **Create**. Default stages are added automatically.

### Manage stages

1. Open the pipeline and click **Add stage**, then enter a **Stage name** such as "New Lead".
2. Use a stage's actions to **Rename stage** or **Delete stage**.

<Warning>
  Deleting a stage removes the stage assignment from the contacts in it, and deleting a pipeline permanently removes its stages — contacts currently assigned lose their stage. This can't be undone.
</Warning>

### Move contacts

Drag a contact card from one stage to another, or drop it in the **Unassigned** area. Moving a contact is a business decision, so agree as a team on what each stage means.

### Trigger automation from stage changes

Use the **Pipeline Stage Changed** trigger to start a workflow when a contact is added to or moved within a pipeline, optionally for one specific stage. For the step-by-step setup and examples, see [Select a Trigger](/workspace/automation/select-a-trigger#start-a-workflow-when-a-contact-moves-in-a-pipeline).

### Good operating habits

* **Match stages to your real process, not an ideal one.** If your team keeps skipping a stage, remove it.
* **Keep one pipeline per distinct process.** Don't mix sales and support in the same pipeline, so counts stay meaningful.
* **Review stage distribution weekly.** Many contacts stuck in one stage usually signals a bottleneck in the process.
* **Pair stage changes with Notes where a human judgment happened.** The board shows *moved to Qualified*; a [Note](/workspace/contacts/notes) explains *why* — "Customer confirmed budget and timeline."

### Pipelines, Activity Logs, Notes, and Conversations

| Feature           | Purpose                        | Typical question              |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------ | ----------------------------- |
| **Activity Logs** | Records what your team did     | Who did what, and when?       |
| **Notes**         | Stores internal human context  | What should the team know?    |
| **Pipelines**     | Tracks business/process stage  | Where is this in our process? |
| **Conversations** | Handles customer communication | What did we say?              |

Use all four together — they complement each other.

## Troubleshooting / Technical Notes

* **"No channel selected."** Select or create a channel in [Channels](/workspace/channels) first.
* **"No pipelines yet."** Click **Create Pipeline** to make your first one.
* **"No stages in this pipeline."** Add stages to start moving contacts through the funnel.
* **A contact card won't move.** Try again — "Could not move contact" is shown if the move fails. Check that you have permission to edit pipelines.
* **The Pipeline item is missing from the sidebar.** Your account may not have `pipeline:view` — ask an administrator, or see [Team](/workspace/team).

## Related docs

* [Automation Overview](/workspace/automation/overview) — building workflows
* [Select a Trigger](/workspace/automation/select-a-trigger) — including Pipeline Stage Changed
* [Notes](/workspace/contacts/notes) — handoff context when you move a contact
* [Contacts](/workspace/contacts/overview) — the contact behind each card
* [Inbox](/workspace/inbox/overview) — where conversations happen