Open, won, and lost stage rules in 4 sales tools

• HubSpot defines its default pipeline with seven deal stages, ending in "Closed won (100%, Won)" and "Closed lost (0%, Lost)" according to HubSpot.
• Close requires every new status to have a unique name and an Opportunity Status Type selected from Active, Won, or Lost according to Close.
• Pipedrive tracks the ongoing transaction as a deal processed through pipeline stages until it is either WON or LOST according to Pipedrive.
• Microsoft assigns two default status reasons to the Open status: In Progress (actively being worked) and On Hold (temporarily suspended) according to Microsoft.

A stage name tells you where a deal sits in the process, but it does not tell you whether the money is still coming or already settled. On a forecast call, treating a finished deal as active pipeline inflates the number.

In the "Set up and manage object pipelines" documentation, the default pipeline includes seven deal stages: Appointment scheduled (20%), Qualified to buy (40%), Presentation scheduled (60%), Decision maker bought-in (80%), Contract sent (90%), Closed won (100%, Won), and Closed lost (0%, Lost) HubSpot. The first five stages represent open deals in various phases of progress. The final two stages, Closed won and Closed lost, represent the end states.

The same documentation notes that for deals, to ensure all sales reports, custom deal or revenue reports, and sales analytics tools process your deals correctly, you must include stages for both Won and Lost under Deal probability HubSpot. This requirement highlights that the system relies on these specific end-state labels to categorize the deal's outcome. Without both Won and Lost stages defined, the reporting tools cannot accurately process the deal data.

See Weighted deal amount: 5 fields to check HubSpot, Pipedrive for the stage percent.

A stage name tells you where a deal sits in the process, but it does not tell you if the deal is still active. On a forecast call, the critical distinction is whether the deal has reached a final state. In Pipedrive, the ongoing transaction you are pursuing with a person or organization is tracked as a deal, which is processed through the stages of your pipeline until it is either WON or LOST Pipedrive. This definition establishes that the pipeline is not an infinite container; it is a path that terminates. A deal that has not reached one of these two end states is still open. A deal that has reached one of them is closed.

The visual representation of this status changes once the deal closes. According to Pipedrive, closed deals are removed from the active pipeline view. This removal is a mechanical consequence of the status change. When a deal is marked as WON or LOST, it no longer appears in the board that represents active opportunities. For a revenue leader, this means the active pipeline view reflects only open deals. If a deal is still visible in the active view, it is not yet won or lost.

The table gives open, won, and lost definitions only where that publisher's documentation supplied them. Use it to check whether your pipeline treats a finished deal as money still coming.

Check your own system's documentation to confirm whether a won or lost status removes the deal from active reporting views. If your tool does not explicitly remove closed deals from the active pipeline, verify how your forecast reports filter out those records.

Picture one deal with an amount of 100. While it is open, the 100 stays in the active forecast. In this picture, won means the 100 is revenue already recorded, and lost means expected revenue is 0. Five open labels and two finished labels make seven, and only the five open labels are still coming.

HubSpot's "Set up and manage object pipelines" page lists the default pipeline as having seven deal stages: Appointment scheduled (20%), Qualified to buy (40%), Presentation scheduled (60%), Decision maker bought-in (80%), Contract sent (90%), Closed won (100%, Won), and Closed lost (0%, Lost) HubSpot. These seven names and their associated percentages are the starting point for a new pipeline in this system. The final two stages, Closed won and Closed lost, represent the terminal states where the deal is no longer open.

The distinction between an open stage and a closed stage matters for how the system processes data. According to HubSpot, to ensure all sales reports, custom deal or revenue reports, and sales analytics tools process deals correctly, you must include stages for both Won and Lost under Deal probability. This requirement means that a pipeline configuration missing either the Won or Lost stage will not feed data correctly into the reporting tools. The system relies on these specific end-state labels to categorize the deal for analysis.

On your next forecast call, verify that your HubSpot pipeline includes both the Won and Lost stages under Deal probability. If they are missing, your reports will not process deals correctly. Use the seven default stage names as a reference for what an open deal looks like and what a closed one looks like. The closed stages are the ones where the outcome is final. This separation allows you to distinguish between deals that are still coming and deals that are already done. Keep the focus on the stage name and its end state. If the stage is Closed won or Closed lost, the deal is no longer open. If it is any of the other five, it is still open. This simple check prevents treating a finished deal as money still coming.

In Opportunity Pipelines & Statuses, Close requires each new status to have a unique name within the pipeline and an Opportunity Status Type, which is Active, Won, or Lost. When you mark an opportunity with a 'Won' status, the system adds the value as revenue in Reporting. Conversely, marking an opportunity with a 'Lost' status removes the value from any expected revenue. This distinction matters because the status type directly changes how the deal amount appears in your financial reports.

See What 3 systems store on a lost deal: 6 fields.

In Pipeline view, Pipedrive handles closed deals by removing them from the active pipeline view. This means that once a deal is marked as closed, it no longer appears in the standard board where you manage ongoing opportunities. The visual removal from the active view helps keep the pipeline clean and focused on deals that are still in progress. You should verify that your team understands this behavior so that closed deals are not mistaken for active opportunities during a forecast review. The system's design ensures that the active pipeline reflects only those deals that are still being worked on, providing a clear view of current sales activity.

To apply these rules, check your current system's settings to see how it handles won and lost statuses. Ensure that your team is consistent in applying these statuses so that your reports reflect the true state of your sales pipeline. If your system does not automatically adjust revenue based on status, you may need to manually verify these figures before the forecast call. The key is to align your internal processes with the specific behaviors of your sales tool to avoid misreporting revenue or pipeline value.

In Manage the opportunity lifecycle, Microsoft uses status reasons to define the state of an opportunity. The Open status has two default status reasons: In Progress, which means the opportunity is actively being worked, and On Hold, which means it is temporarily suspended. The table in the documentation specifies that for the Open status with the In Progress reason, the usage is that the opportunity is actively being pursued. This structure allows you to track not just whether a deal is open, but also the specific activity level associated with that open state. By using these status reasons, you can distinguish between deals that are actively moving forward and those that are paused, which provides more granular insight into the health of your pipeline.

Use this blank stage list to copy onto your own pipeline before the next forecast call. Write open, won, or lost next to each stage name in your own system, using the words that system already uses. This keeps the call from treating a finished deal as money still coming.

Related reading on the call itself: Pipeline, Best Case, Commit: Forecast Categories Explained.

Fill every blank row with the exact stage label your system displays. If your system uses a different term for the final state, write that term in the second column. Do not invent a stage that your system does not show. The goal is a one-to-one match between your pipeline view and the end state you will report.

What is the difference between a stage name and a won or lost end state?

A stage name is a label within the pipeline, while the end state determines if the deal is active or closed. According to Pipedrive, deals are processed until they reach a WON or LOST state. The end state dictates whether the deal remains in the active view or is removed from it.

Does HubSpot start you with named stages?

Yes, the default pipeline includes seven deal stages. According to HubSpot, these include Appointment scheduled (20%) and Closed won (100%, Won). To ensure sales reports and analytics tools process deals correctly, you must include stages for both Won and Lost under Deal probability.

What does Close do with the dollar when a status is Won or Lost?

Marking an opportunity with a Won status adds the value as revenue in Reporting. According to Close, this action directly impacts the reported revenue figures. Conversely, marking an opportunity with a Lost status removes the value from any expected revenue.

Where do closed Pipedrive deals go?

Closed deals are removed from the active pipeline view in Pipedrive. According to Pipedrive, this removal happens once the deal reaches a closed state.