Prerequisites
Before you start
Complete first
Custom fields must exist first
Go to Settings → Custom Fields → Contact and confirm these fields are live before touching the pipeline. Workflow actions that write to missing fields fail silently.
Know your team's assigned roles
Decide now who owns Contract sent (closer / salesperson) and who owns Kickoff scheduled (account manager). You'll assign users per stage when configuring.
Part 1
Create the pipeline
~10 min
1
Navigate to Pipelines
CRM → Pipelines
From the left sidebar click CRM, then select the Pipelines tab at the top — it sits next to Contacts and Companies.
Left sidebar → CRM → Pipelines tab
2
Create a new pipeline
+ Add Pipeline
Click + Add Pipeline (top right). A dialog appears. Name it exactly:
AIBS – Client Onboarding
Use a consistent prefix like "AIBS –" so all your pipelines, workflows, and snippets sort together alphabetically across the platform.
3
Add all 6 stages in order
+ Add Stage × 6
Click + Add Stage for each one. Use these exact names — they become selectable filter conditions in workflow triggers later.
1
Lead collected2
Contract sent3
Contract signed4
Intake form done5
Kickoff scheduled✓
Active client
Mark Active client as a Won stage by toggling the Won option in that stage's settings. This feeds your conversion reporting correctly.
4
Set stage probability values
Stage settings → Probability
Click into each stage and set the close probability. These values drive your revenue forecasting widget on the reporting dashboard.
| Stage | Probability | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Lead collected | 10% | Just entered the system |
| Contract sent | 40% | Engaged enough to receive a proposal |
| Contract signed | 80% | Committed — just needs onboarding |
| Intake form done | 90% | Deep in the process |
| Kickoff scheduled | 95% | Almost live |
| Active client | 100% | Won — mark as Won stage |
5
Save the pipeline
Click Save
Click Save. The pipeline now appears in your CRM. You can drag stages to reorder at any time. Don't add real opportunities yet — finish the settings and automations first.
Part 2
Configure pipeline settings
~5 min
6
Open pipeline settings
Gear icon
Click the gear icon next to your pipeline name — or click into the pipeline and hit Settings at the top right.
7
Configure stage notifications
Notifications → On
Under Notifications, turn on Stage Change Alerts. Set it to notify the assigned user on every stage move via email + in-app.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Notify on stage change | On |
| Notify who | Assigned user |
| Method | Email + in-app |
8
Set required fields per stage
Stage → Required fields
Click into each stage individually and add required fields. These force your team to fill in key data before moving an opportunity forward — critical for keeping reporting clean.
| Moving to stage | Required field |
|---|---|
| Stage 2 — Contract sent | Lead Source |
| Stage 3 — Contract signed | Deal value + contract date |
| Stage 4 — Intake form done | Contract Signed Date |
| Stage 5 — Kickoff scheduled | Kickoff appointment link |
Required fields stop your team from skipping steps. No contract date = can't move to Stage 4. Simple accountability built into the pipeline itself.
Part 3
Wire the automation triggers
~10 min
9
Trigger 1 — Contract signed fires onboarding workflow
Automation → Workflows
Go to Automation → Workflows → + New Workflow. Name it
Trigger: Opportunity Stage Changed → Pipeline: AIBS – Client Onboarding → Stage: Contract signed
AIBS – Onboarding Trigger.Trigger: Opportunity Stage Changed → Pipeline: AIBS – Client Onboarding → Stage: Contract signed
AIBS – Onboarding Trigger · actions in order:
1
Update contact field — Onboarding Stage = Contract signed2
Update contact field — Contract Signed Date = Today3
Send SMS — AIBS – Contract sent snippet4
Send email — Onboarding kickoff confirmed template5
Internal notification — Notify assigned user: "New client signed"Automation → Workflows → + New Workflow
10
Trigger 2 — Intake form link sent automatically
Wait 10 min → Send email
Create a second workflow — or add a branch on the first. Use the same trigger: Contract signed. Add a Wait 10 minutes step, then Send Email with the intake form link in the body.
The 10-minute wait prevents both emails hitting the client's inbox at the exact same second. Back-to-back emails feel like a bot. A small gap feels intentional.
11
Trigger 3 — Kickoff booked moves to Stage 5
Appointment Booked trigger
Create a workflow triggered by Appointment Booked → Calendar: Onboarding Kickoff.
Actions: Update Opportunity Stage → Kickoff scheduled. Also update the Onboarding Stage custom field to match.
Actions: Update Opportunity Stage → Kickoff scheduled. Also update the Onboarding Stage custom field to match.
This is the most important trigger. It links your calendar directly to the pipeline. Without it, Stage 5 requires a manual drag every single time a client books.
12
Trigger 4 — Active client finalizes the record
Stage changed → Active client
Trigger: Opportunity Stage Changed → Active client
AIBS – Active Client Finalizer · actions in order:
1
Add tag — active-client2
Remove tag — new-lead3
Update contact field — AI Follow-up Status = Completed4
Send SMS — Welcome to the team message5
Enroll in workflow — AIBS – Monthly check-in (Day 30)
Always remove the new-lead tag when a contact becomes active. If you skip this, the AI follow-up workflow can re-trigger on an existing client.
Part 4
Final setup and testing
~5 min
13
Set up your pipeline board view
Board view → Customize
In the pipeline board view click Customize (top right). Show these fields on each opportunity card. Hide everything else.
Contact name
Deal value
Assigned user
Days in stage
14
Create a test opportunity and run through it
+ Add Opportunity
Click + Add Opportunity with a test contact. Manually drag it through each stage and verify everything fires correctly.
✓
Stage 1 → 2: Required field prompt appears
✓
Stage 2 → 3: SMS + email fire, custom fields update
✓
Stage 3 → 4: Intake form email arrives after 10 min
✓
Kickoff booked: Auto-moves to Stage 5
✓
Stage 5 → 6: Tags swap, check-in workflow enrolls
Use a real phone and email you can check. Confirm merge tags resolve — no broken
{{contact.first_name}} appearing in the actual messages.
15
Add the pipeline to your reporting dashboard
Reporting → Dashboards
Go to Reporting → Dashboards → + Add Widget. Add two widgets: Opportunities by Stage filtered to AIBS – Client Onboarding, and Pipeline Value for a live revenue total.
Reporting → Dashboards → + Add Widget
