Pipeline stages represent the steps in your sales process. As an Admin or Owner, you can customize these stages to match exactly how your team works — from first outreach to closing the deal. This guide walks you through everything you need to configure your pipeline.
Who Can Manage Stages?
Only Admins and Owners can add, edit, reorder, or delete pipeline stages. Team members (reps) can view the pipeline and move contacts between stages, but they cannot modify the stage configuration itself.
Accessing Stage Settings
Click Settings in the left sidebar
Select Pipeline Stages
You will see your current stages listed in order, each with its name and color
Default Stages
Every new DmTracker organization starts with six default stages:
Outreach Sent — Initial message has been sent
In Conversation — Active back-and-forth dialogue
Interested — Lead has shown clear interest
Meeting Booked — A call or demo is scheduled
Closed — Deal is successfully completed
Lost — Lead did not convert
These defaults are designed for a typical Instagram DM sales workflow. You can rename them, reorder them, or replace them entirely.
Adding a New Stage
In Settings > Pipeline Stages, click the Add Stage button at the bottom of the list
Enter a stage name (must be unique — no two stages can share the same name)
Choose a color for the stage — this color appears on the Kanban column header and contact cards
Click Save
The new stage is added to the end of the list. You can drag it to a different position immediately after creating it.
Tip: Keep stage names short and action-oriented. Names like "Demo Scheduled" or "Proposal Sent" are clearer than "Stage 4" or "Almost There." Your team will thank you.
Deleting a Stage
In Settings > Pipeline Stages, hover over the stage you want to remove
Click the trash icon
If the stage contains contacts, a popup will appear asking you to choose a destination stage — all contacts in the deleted stage will be moved there
Confirm the deletion
Important details about deleting stages:
You cannot delete a stage if it is the only one remaining. Your pipeline must always have at least 1 stage.
When you delete a stage with contacts, you must select another stage to receive those contacts before confirming. No contacts are lost.
Any smart automations that reference the deleted stage will be automatically removed. You will see a warning about this before confirming.
The deletion and contact move are logged in each affected contact's activity log.
Stage Limits and Rules
Keep these constraints in mind when configuring your pipeline:
Rule | Detail |
Minimum stages | 1 — you cannot have an empty pipeline |
Maximum stages | 12 — keeps the Kanban board usable and readable |
Unique names | No two stages can have the same name |
Name length | Stage names cannot be empty; keep them concise for best display |
Tip: If you are hitting the 12-stage limit, consider whether some stages could be combined. A pipeline that is too granular can slow down your team rather than help them. Most successful DmTracker teams use 4-8 stages.
Best Practices for Stage Design
Start simple. Begin with the default stages and adjust after a week of use. You will quickly see where your process needs more detail and where stages are unnecessary.
Align with your team. Before customizing, discuss with your reps what their actual sales flow looks like. Stages should reflect reality, not an idealized process.
Use clear exit criteria. Each stage should have an obvious trigger for moving to the next. For example, "In Conversation" moves to "Interested" when the lead asks about pricing or availability.
Review periodically. As your process evolves, revisit your stages. Rename or consolidate stages that are not serving your team anymore.
Related Articles
Introduction to the Pipeline — What the Pipeline is and how it works
Smart Automations — Automate actions when contacts change stages