- Sketch the stages on paper first
- Building the pipeline, step by step
- Probability and rotting settings explained
- Editing, duplicating or deleting a pipeline later
- Two ways a pipeline change can bite you
- Moving deals and controlling who sees each pipeline
- How other CRMs handle pipelines
- My advice for a first Pipedrive pipeline
- Frequently asked questions
To create a pipeline in Pipedrive, open the pipeline dropdown in the Deals tab, choose + New pipeline, name it, then rename or add stages on the sample five-stage layout and click Save changes. Only users with deal admin permissions can create or edit a pipeline, so check your role first if the option is missing.
Sketch the stages on paper first
The quickest pipeline to build is the one you've already drawn. Before you click anything, write down the steps a deal goes through in your business, from first contact to signed. Pipedrive's advice is to name stages after clear actions, such as a meeting booked or a proposal sent, so it's obvious what happens next.
There's a practical reason to do this first, which I'll come to below: changing stages once deals are loaded can delete deals or muddle your reports. Pipedrive includes a default sales process in the Deals tab under pipeline view to help you get started, and it's a useful reference while you sketch. If you want a ready-made shape, my sales pipeline stage template gives you a starting set to adapt.
Building the pipeline, step by step
- Check that your user has deal admin permissions. Only deal admins can set up or edit a pipeline.
- In the Deals tab, click the name of the current pipeline to open the dropdown and select + New pipeline. Pipedrive opens a sample five-stage pipeline you can edit.
- Name the pipeline after the sales process it covers, then rename each stage after a real action.
- To add a stage, hover over an existing stage and click + to insert one between stages. To remove one, use Delete Stage, but only after moving its deals elsewhere.
- Optionally set a stage probability, or enable deal probability instead, if you have past performance data.
- Optionally turn on rotting and set the number of days a deal can sit in a stage before it's flagged.
- Click Save changes. The pipeline appears in the dropdown for you and anyone allowed to see it.
Probability and rotting settings explained
| Setting | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Stage probability | Estimates how likely deals in a stage are to close | When you've got past results to base it on |
| Deal probability | Sets likelihood per deal; overrides stage probability when both are on | When deals in one stage vary a lot |
| Rotting | Highlights deals that stay in one stage too long and notifies you | When follow-ups slip through the cracks |
Rotting is the setting I'd switch on first for a small team. A deal that's sat in Proposal sent for three weeks is a deal someone forgot to chase, and a visual flag fixes that without another report.
Editing, duplicating or deleting a pipeline later
To edit an existing pipeline, open the pipeline dropdown and click the pencil icon next to it. The three-dot menu duplicates or deletes the pipeline. Duplicating is the quickest way to build a second process that's similar to the first.
If you delete a pipeline by accident, its deals can be recovered from the Restore data section within 30 days. Pipedrive still advises moving deals to another pipeline before you delete one, and I'd follow that.
Two ways a pipeline change can bite you
The Pipedrive Knowledge Base flags two traps. First, deleting a stage also deletes the deals sitting in it, so always move those deals to another stage before you remove one. Second, moving deals between pipelines later affects Insights reporting, because deal progress reports only reflect movement within the current pipeline.
That's why the paper sketch matters. Design the stages before you load deals, and you'll rarely need to move deals around.
Moving deals and controlling who sees each pipeline
There are three ways to move a deal to another pipeline: drag it to the Move to option in pipeline view, use bulk edit in the deal list view, or change pipeline and stage from the deal detail view.
Pipeline visibility lets you decide which pipelines each visibility group can see. Every user must have at least one pipeline visible, and users with deals admin or account settings admin permissions always see all pipelines. On the essential or advanced plan there's only one default visibility group, so visibility changes there apply to every non-admin user.
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How other CRMs handle pipelines
HubSpot's sales product describes deal and pipeline management as a way to visualise and manage deals from start to finish, assign tasks, set reminders and collaborate with team members. Zoho CRM's pipeline management page frames it as overseeing every opportunity at each stage, from approaching a lead to closing a deal. For a direct comparison, my HubSpot versus Pipedrive guide sets out the differences, and my list of Pipedrive alternatives goes wider.
My advice for a first Pipedrive pipeline
Keep it short and honest. Five or six stages, each named after something that has happened, with rotting switched on so stalled deals stand out. Build it before you import a single deal, and never delete a stage that still has deals in it. A simple pipeline your team trusts beats a clever one nobody updates.
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Frequently asked questions
Who can create a pipeline in Pipedrive?
Only users with deal admin permissions can set up and edit a pipeline.
How many stages does a new Pipedrive pipeline start with?
When you choose + New pipeline you see a sample five-stage pipeline that you can rename, extend or trim.
What happens if I delete a stage?
The deals in that stage are deleted too, so move them to another stage first.
Can I recover a pipeline I deleted by mistake?
Pipedrive says you can recover accidentally deleted deals from the Restore data section within 30 days.
Can I hide a pipeline from some users?
Yes, through pipeline visibility. Every user must keep at least one visible pipeline, and admins with deals or account settings permissions see all of them.
