Funnel and operations
Stage types, triggers and funnel events
Each funnel stage has a Type (Open, Meeting, Won or Lost), can have a Trigger that moves the lead automatically (first reply, meeting scheduled or meeting held) and a CAPI event that goes to Meta when the lead enters it. You set all of this in Settings › Pipeline.
Stage types
| Type | When to use it | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Conversation and negotiation stages: new contact, in conversation, proposal. | Counts as an open lead. |
| Meeting | Stages tied to an appointment: meeting, consultation, viewing, call. | Also counts as open; this is where meeting triggers usually go. |
| Won (sale) | The deal closed. | Entering it opens the sale dialog. It’s the only stage that accepts the Purchase event. |
| Lost | The deal won’t happen. | When a lead is moved here manually, it asks for the loss reason. |
The first stage (entry) is always Open. A stage with leads can’t change type.
Triggers
A trigger moves the lead to the stage automatically when something happens:
- First reply: someone on the team replied to the lead for the first time.
- Meeting scheduled: someone scheduled a meeting in the lead panel.
- Meeting held: the meeting was marked as Held.
Three important rules:
- Forward only: a trigger never moves a lead back. If the lead is already in a later stage, it stays where it is.
- One trigger per stage: the same trigger can’t be on two stages (“This trigger is already on another stage.”).
- Names follow the segment: in a clinic, you see “Appointment scheduled” and “Appointment held”.
Allow manual moves
With this option off, the column shows a lock on the Kanban board, “(automatic moves only)”, and only a trigger or an integration can move a lead into it. It’s useful for stages that need proof, like “Attended”, which should only be reached when someone marks the meeting as held.
The CAPI event
The CAPI event is the event sent to Meta through the Conversions API when the lead enters the stage, so Meta can optimize your ads for the people who move forward in the funnel. The options:
| Event | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Lead | Entry stage: a new contact came in. |
| Contact | In conversation: the team replied. |
| Schedule | Meeting, appointment or viewing scheduled. |
| SubmitApplication | Proposal sent. |
| InitiateCheckout | Payment link sent. |
| CompleteRegistration | Registration completed. |
| Purchase | Won stages only; sent with the sale amount. |
Each stage event is sent once per lead. Events are only sent with Send conversions turned on in Settings › Operations; when it’s off, the editor warns “Conversion sending is turned off for this organization.” Details in Send conversions to Meta.
Example
Example with fictional data from the funnel of an aesthetics clinic run by Example Co.:
| Stage | Type | Trigger | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| New contact | Open | — | Lead |
| In conversation | Open | First reply | Contact |
| Consultation scheduled | Meeting | Meeting scheduled | Schedule |
| Attended | Meeting | Meeting held | — |
| Procedure booked | Won | — | Purchase |
| Lost | Lost | — | — |
With this setup, the receptionist just replies, schedules and marks the consultation: the first three stage changes happen on their own. She only drags leads manually to “Procedure booked” (recording the amount) or “Lost” (with the reason).
Didn’t work? See…
- The lead didn’t move on the first reply: check that the trigger is on the right stage and that the lead wasn’t already in a later stage. The auto greeting doesn’t count as a reply.
- The event didn’t reach Meta: see Sale doesn’t show up in Meta.
- “Purchase only in a won stage”: change the stage type to Won or pick another event.
Frequently asked questions
Can a trigger move a lead backward?
No. Triggers only move leads forward. To move a lead back, do it manually on the Kanban board or in the lead panel.
Do I need to set up events for Meta?
Segment templates already come with suggested events. You just need to turn on Send conversions and connect Meta.
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