Pipelines and automation: stages, rules and who gets the deals

Clients, deals and tasksUpdated 19 October 2026Video 1:27With the CRM and tasks module

A pipeline is the set of stages a deal goes through, from the client’s first message to payment or a lost deal. In the pipeline settings you set the stages, the rules that move a deal to the right stage on their own, and who gets new deals.

Pipelines work with the Deals section from the CRM and tasks module. If the module is not connected, the Deals page offers to connect it. Pipelines can be set up by a team member with the right to manage the CRM.

Where to find it

Open Settings at the bottom of the left menu and choose Pipelines in the CRM group. There are two more ways from the Deals page: the gear button “Manage pipelines” and the “Pipeline automation” button, which opens the rules straight away.

The pipeline switcher is at the top of the page. The main pipeline is marked with a star and the Default label.

The main pipeline

New deals from chats land in the main pipeline: a deal appears on the first stage as soon as the client writes (when the “Solwees CRM” app is connected).
The Deals section opens on the main pipeline.
To make another pipeline the main one, select it at the top, open the menu to the right of its name and click Make default.

Stages

Action	How
Add a stage	Type a name in the line under the list, pick a colour (the dot on the left) and a type, then click Add or press Enter
Rename	Double-click the name, type a new one and press Enter or the tick. Escape or the cross cancels. If you click elsewhere on the page, the new name is saved
Change the order	Hover over a row and drag it by the handle on the left. The order of stages is the deal’s path through the pipeline
Change the colour	Click the stage’s colour dot
Delete	The bin icon on the right. You can only delete a regular stage that has no deals

Stage types:

Type	What it means
Inbox	The first stage, new deals land here. There is one per pipeline and it can’t be deleted
Regular	A working stage: consultation, finding a time, booking and so on
Won	A deal on this stage counts as won and is closed
Lost	A deal on this stage counts as lost and is closed

Inbox, Won and Lost stages can’t be deleted, but you can rename them.

Stages move on their own

In the Stages move on their own block, pick for each event the stage the deal moves to, or leave Do not move. The rule works without the assistant or a manager.

Group	Event	When it fires
During the conversation	AI replied to the client	The assistant replied in the deal’s chat
During the conversation	The chat is handed to a manager	A team member replied in the chat
When the chat is closed	The client booked	The chat was closed with the outcome “booked”
When the chat is closed	The question is resolved	The chat was closed with the outcome “resolved”
When the chat is closed	The client is lost	The chat was closed with the outcome “client lost”
When the chat is closed	Spam	The chat was closed as spam

Each pipeline has its own rules. If the deal is already on that stage, nothing changes. If a rule leads to a Won or Lost stage, the deal is closed.

Who gets new deals

Way	How it works
Manually	You pick the owner. If nobody is set, the deal goes to whoever replies to the client first
Take turns	New deals go in turn to the people of the pipeline
Least busy	The deal goes to whoever has the fewest open deals in this pipeline

Pipeline team: tick who sees this pipeline and gets its deals. Take turns and Least busy need at least one person, otherwise new deals stay without an owner (the page warns you about it).

The switches below:

A returning client goes to their manager. If the client wrote before, the deal goes to the same person, even when it is someone else’s turn. This works while that person is in the pipeline team.
While the AI replies, it owns the deal. A person is assigned when the chat is handed over.

There is no Save button for the rules and the assignment: every change is saved right away, and “Saved” appears next to the block title.

New pipeline and archive

New pipeline at the top of the page: type a name and click Create. Pipeline names can’t repeat. A new pipeline starts with four stages that you can rename and add to.
A workspace can have up to 10 pipelines. When you reach the limit, the New pipeline button is disabled: move a pipeline you don’t need to the archive. Archived pipelines don’t count towards the limit.
Archive: the menu to the right of the pipeline name, then confirm. Before that, move the open deals to another pipeline or close them. The main pipeline can’t be archived: make another one the main pipeline first.

Tips

Name stages the way the client experiences them: “Consultation”, “Finding a time”, “Booked”. Five to seven stages are usually enough.
Start with the “When the chat is closed” rules: “The client booked” and “The client is lost”. Then the deals board shows how each conversation ended.
The “During the conversation” rules fire on every reply in the chat. Pick an early stage for them, for example “Consultation”.
For a separate line of business (for example weddings and events), create a separate pipeline with its own stages and its own team.

FAQ

Why can’t I archive a pipeline?

It has open deals, or it is the main pipeline. Move or close the deals, and make another pipeline the main one.

Why can’t I delete a stage?

It has deals, or it is an Inbox, Won or Lost stage. Move the deals to another stage and try again.

A rule didn’t fire. What should I check?

A rule works for a deal linked to the chat, and only in the pipeline where it is set. Check that a stage is picked for the event, not “Do not move”.

Why did a deal move back to an earlier stage on its own?

The “The chat is handed to a manager” rule fires on every reply from a team member and moves the deal to the chosen stage, even if it has already moved further. If that gets in the way, set the event to “Do not move”.

Where are the tasks for deals?

In the Tasks section: all of the team’s to-dos with due dates and reminders. That’s the next video.

Video transcript

Everything the narrator says. A time code plays the video from that moment.

What a pipeline is and where to find it

A pipeline is the set of stages a deal goes through. Let's set up the stages and what the pipeline does on its own. Open Settings at the bottom of the menu and choose Pipelines. The main pipeline is marked with a star. New deals from chats land there. To make another pipeline the main one, use the menu on the right.

Stages: add and rename

Stages follow the way a deal moves. To add one, type a name, pick a type and click Add. Double-click a name to rename a stage. Won and Lost close the deal, and they can't be deleted.

Stages move on their own

In Stages move on their own, choose where the deal goes when the assistant replies or the chat is handed to a manager. And when the chat is closed: the client booked, the question is resolved or the client is lost.

Who gets new deals

Below, choose who gets new deals: manually, taking turns or whoever is least busy. Then tick the pipeline team. A returning client goes to their manager. There's no Save button: changes are saved right away.