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How to set up your first sales pipeline in HelloGrowthCRM

Build a sales pipeline in 5 minutes — pick stages, set probabilities, customize the deal card, and start moving deals through it.

7 min readUpdated 12 Jun 2026
beginner
Rushabh ShahRushabh Shah

What this guide helps you do

Follow this article when you want a focused, step-by-step path to complete the task without digging through menus.

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Setting up your first pipeline takes about seven minutes — pick stages, configure win probabilities for forecasting, customize the deal card, and walk through moving your first deal across the kanban view.

How to use this guide

Read the intro to confirm this is the right workflow, complete the steps in order, then review the common issues and related articles if your setup behaves differently from the standard path.

What you'll need

  • A clear sense of your sales stages
  • Average deal size and sales cycle length
  • About 7 minutes
  • Optional: existing in-flight deals to seed
  1. 1

    Open Pipelines tab

    Click Pipeline in sidebar. Default Sales pipeline shows 5 starter stages.

  2. 2

    Create a new pipeline

    Click +Create pipeline. Name it specifically (B2B Outbound, Inbound Demo, etc.). Companies typically run 2-4 pipelines.

  3. 3

    Customize stages

    Default: Prospecting → Qualification → Proposal → Negotiation → Closed. Edit names, drag to reorder, +Add stage. Aim 5-8.

  4. 4

    Set win probabilities

    Each stage gets 0-100%. Defaults 10/25/50/75/0/0 for standard 5-stage. Power forecast math.

  5. 5

    Configure required fields per stage

    Click stage → Required fields. Block deals from advancing until filled. Forces clean data.

  6. 6

    Customize the deal card

    Click Card layout. Pick 4-6 fields per card: amount, close date, owner, next step.

  7. 7

    Add your first deal

    Click +Add deal. Enter name, amount, close date, contact, source. Lands in column 1.

  8. 8

    Move it across stages

    Drag deal from Prospecting → Qualification. Probability auto-updates; timeline logs change.

Frequently asked questions

How many pipelines can I have?

Unlimited on Growth tier and above. Starter caps at 1 pipeline.

Can different teams use different stages?

Yes — each pipeline has its own stages. Common: Inbound (5 stages) and Outbound (8 stages).

Do I have to use all the default stages?

No — delete any you don't need. Minimum is 2 stages (one open, one closed).

Can I rename stages later without breaking history?

Yes. Stage history is keyed by stage ID, not name. Rename freely.

How do I see pipeline health at a glance?

Pipeline Insights widget on dashboard shows total value, weighted forecast, conversion rate per stage.

Related articles

See it in product

Try it yourself

Start a 14-day free trial of HelloGrowthCRM — no credit card required. You'll have everything you need to follow this guide.

Still need help?

If this article does not match your account setup, rollout stage, or edge case, review more guides in Getting Started or contact our team for direct help.

Rushabh Shah
Rushabh Shah· Co-Founder, HelloGrowthCRM

Rushabh leads product strategy at HelloGrowthCRM with a focus on CRM workflows, revenue operations, and practical product design for growing businesses.

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