New Lists is the default Lists experience for every customer. A few features still need Classic Lists — where one comes up, this tutorial says so. To switch a single list, see Switching between New and Classic Lists.
Immediate Value
After this tutorial, you’ll add a Status field to track deal stages, configure stage options, use Board view, track time spent in each pipeline stage, and automate your stages with List triggers.Prerequisites
- Tutorial 1: Your First List
- Tutorial 5: Pipeline Basics
Quick-Start Roadmap
- Add a Status field to your list
- Configure pipeline stages
- Use Board view with your custom stages
- Track time in each stage
- Automate your stages with List triggers
Why Pipeline Structure Matters
Stages give your team a shared language for deal progress, enable Board view visualization, and unlock pipeline analytics. Board view groups cards by your Status field (or another dropdown), so defined stages are what make it useful.Affinity guide: Elevate Your Pipeline: 5 Best Practices
Task 1: Add a Status Field
Context
The Status field is a special dropdown that drives Board view and pipeline reports. If your list doesn’t have one, add it now.Action
- Open your deal list
- Scroll right to ”+ New Column” at the end of the column headers
- Select “Status” as the field type (or choose “Add an existing field” to reuse one)
- Name it (default “Status” works fine)
- Click “Create”
Expected Outcome
A new Status column appears in your list, ready for stage configuration.Task 2: Configure Pipeline Stages
Context
Stages should mirror your actual deal process. Common VC stages differ from PE stages — configure what matches your workflow.Action
- Click the dropdown arrow on the Status column header.
- Select “Edit status” to open the stage editor.
- Add your stages: Example VC Pipeline:
- Sourced → Initial Review → Partner Meeting → Due Diligence → Term Sheet → Closed Won → Passed Example PE Pipeline:
- Identified → Initial Screen → Management Meeting → Diligence → IC Approval → Closed → Declined
- Drag stages to reorder them (order determines Board view column order)
- Save
Expected Outcome
Your Status field now has configured stages, and Board view shows them as columns.📚 Help Center
- How to update dropdown options for dropdown type fields
- How to set up Status Triggers (called Require Fields in New Lists)
Task 3: Board View with Custom Stages
Context
Once stages are configured, Board view shows them as columns with deal cards you can drag between them.🎬 Watch
Action
- Switch to Board view — click an existing board’s tab, or click the + at the end of the view tabs and choose Board View under Create a new view.
- See your stages as columns with deal cards
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Practice:
- Drag a card between columns (updates Status automatically)
- Click a field value on a card to edit it in place
- Click the company name or logo to open its profile in a new tab — clicking the body of a card doesn’t open it Pipeline meeting workflow:
- Share screen in Board view
- Start from the left column (earliest stage)
- Discuss each deal, drag cards as decisions are made
- Updates are visible to everyone in real-time
Board view is still rolling out. If your board shows a placeholder instead of cards, board view isn’t enabled for your organization yet — use Sheet view sorted by Status in the meantime.
Expected Outcome
You can navigate Board view, drag cards between stages, and use it for pipeline reviews.Task 4: Track Time in Each Stage
Context
Knowing how long deals sit in each stage reveals bottlenecks. If deals consistently stall in “Due Diligence”, that’s a process signal worth investigating. Every list has a Time in Current Status field that shows how long each record has been in its current stage — add it to your view, then filter or sort on it to spot stale deals. For average time per stage across the whole pipeline, use Affinity Analytics.Action
- See How to track average days spent in each status using Affinity Analytics for the dashboard configuration.
- Once configured, review which stages your deals dwell in longest.
- Take action on stale deals:
- Move forward (schedule next step)
- Pass (move to Declined/Passed)
- Re-engage (set a reminder)
Expected Outcome
You have an Analytics report that surfaces stage dwell time, and a habit of acting on stale deals.Task 5: Automate Your Stages with List Triggers
Context
Once your stages are set, List triggers make them enforce themselves: require key fields before a deal can enter a stage, prompt an opportunity when a deal qualifies, or create a reminder when a deal goes quiet — the stale deals from Task 4.Action
- Open List Options — the gear icon, top right — and choose List triggers. It appears on any list with a status field.
- Click New Trigger and pick a type:
- Require Fields — the fields that must be filled in when a record enters a status. List admins only.
- Create Opportunity — prompts an opportunity in an opportunity list when a record enters a status. List admins only.
- Create Reminder — creates a reminder for a teammate when a record has gone a set number of days without an interaction. Anyone with access to the list can set one up.
- Save, then test it by moving a record to the trigger status.
These were called Status Triggers, Opportunity Triggers and Reminder Triggers in Classic. Both experiences read the same triggers, so existing ones carry over with nothing to migrate.
Expected Outcome
Moving a deal into a key stage asks for the information your team needs, and quiet deals generate their own reminders.📚 Help Center
- Add to list and triggers reference
- Tutorial 13: Automation and Rules goes further, including field automations and Slack notifications.
Common Questions
Can I have different stages for different lists?
Can I have different stages for different lists?
Yes. Each list has its own Status field with its own stages. Your Deal Pipeline can have different stages than your Fundraising list.
What happens to Board view if I reorder stages?
What happens to Board view if I reorder stages?
Board view columns reorder to match. Cards stay in their current stage — only the column position changes.
Can I use Board view without a Status field?
Can I use Board view without a Status field?
Board view groups cards by a status, dropdown, or ranked dropdown field, so the list needs one of those. Every list comes with a default Status field — Task 1 covers setting up its stages.
See It In Action
Where to Go Next
- Next tutorial: Tutorial 10: Working with Your Team
- 🎓 Deep Dive: Elevate Your Pipeline: 5 Best Practices (~47 min)
- 🗺️ Learning Paths: Deal Sourcing (Step 5), Deal Management (Step 3)