---
description: Learn how to track and manage Contacts throughout your sales process on our platform.
title: Lifecycle
image: https://assets1-proxy.respond.io/api/v1/image/assets%2F11f7a662b80a4675973850b067c01fa5%2F3f43c48b21b24f4e8b02b100c0c8fab0
---

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4. Lifecycle

# Lifecycle

The **Lifecycle** feature helps you track and manage Contacts throughout every stage of your sales process, from the first interaction to conversion.

By organizing your Contacts into different **Lifecycle Stages**, your team can gain valuable insights into where each Contact is in their customer journey, making it easier to tailor communications, manage conversations, and ultimately, convert leads into customers.

### Setting up Lifecycle

The **Lifecycle** feature is automatically enabled for new organizations when they sign up. You can start organizing your Contacts into Lifecycle Stages right away in the Inbox and Contacts modules.

You can also enable Lifecycle manually by turning on the **“Show Lifecycle Stages”** toggle in the platform’s settings. This will make Lifecycle visible in the Inbox and Contacts modules.

To do this, go to **Workspace settings** \> **Lifecycle.** 

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/2a6EPxLk50R3up2f4x99rE/c07a2c9b087ceede191b6d32c73e3a3d/screenshot-2025-02-06-at-3-52-50-pm.png?fm=jpg&q=80&w=1200&fl=progressive)

Watch how to set up Lifecycle for your organization: 

### Getting Started

**Lifecycle** is a flexible, customizable tool that allows you to define the stages of your sales process and easily move Contacts through these stages as they progress.

When a new Contact sends a message, Lifecycle automatically assigns them to a default stage, ensuring that all your Contacts are organized right from the start.

#### Lifecycle Stages

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/7zEE1aQrRHyaXj46uEl9UD/1dd795d6cdbf276288e1c7bba3f8f55a/lifecycle-stages.png?fm=jpg&q=80&w=1163&fl=progressive)

Lifecycle comes pre-configured with four primary stages and one Lost Stage to help you get started.

Lifecycle Stages:

* **New Lead**: The Contact has shown interest for the first time.
* **Hot Lead**: The Contact is actively interested and ready to move forward.
* **Payment**: The Contact is considering your offer and payment is in progress.
* **Customer**: The Contact has made a purchase and is now a paying customer.

**Lost Stages:**

Lost Stages are designed to track Contacts who leave the sales process, offering insights into drop-off points. Lifecycle comes with one Lost Stage, which you can edit or remove like all other Stages:

* **Cold Lead**: The Contact has stopped showing interest and is no longer responsive.

You can also add more Lost Stages to suit your business and sales process. Some examples are:

* **Unqualified**: Contact does not meet your business criteria (e.g., budget, needs).
* **No Response:** Multiple follow-ups, but the Contact remains unresponsive.
* **Lost to Competitor:** Contact chose a competitor’s product or service.

> If you were using Lifecycle before the introduction of Lost Stages, the Cold Lead stage will remain in the main Lifecycle Stages column by default. To move it to Lost Stages, you’ll need to **manually recreate it** there and then delete it from Lifecycle Stages.

#### Setting a default Stage

You can set a default stage to automatically categorize new Contacts as soon as they message you. For instance, you can set "New Lead" as your default Stage to categorize all initial Contacts.

To set a default Stage:

1. Go to Workspace Settings > Lifecycle
2. Select the three-dot button > Select **Set as default**
3. Select **Save**
![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/7EypqnF2dIdhUlR5MjjR7B/fb3ee72336a9f537beccd76cc4b56eb1/kapture-2025-02-06-at-15-54-48.gif?w=480&fm=avif)

#### Creating a new Stage

You can create, rename, and manage up to 20 stages in total, which can include both **Lifecycle Stages** and **Lost Stages**, allowing you to customize your sales process and track drop-offs effectively.

**Creating new Stages:**

1. Go to Workspace Settings > Lifecycle
2. Select **Add Stage**
3. Give your Stage a name and description
4. Select **Save**
![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/2UXMrdvZbQ2AuF2f4V8xFW/77e7ec20f99f8b0906a799d915c8a3b5/creating-new-stage.gif?w=480&fm=avif)

> Rearrange Stages by dragging and dropping them to your desired position using the button on the left.

**Creating Lost Stages:**

1. Go to Workspace Settings > Lifecycle
2. In the **Lost Stages** column, select **Add Stage**
3. Enter a name, description, and emoji for the stage
4. Select **Save**
![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/FCH7xsww3wTvp7DtxBa19/d19753a1841e7515c64ec9d8bdb32262/creating-lost-stages.gif?w=480&fm=avif)

Lost Stages are not assigned to default inboxes but help you track drop-offs within your sales funnel.

#### Assigning Lifecycle Stages

You can assign or update a contact’s Lifecycle stage from two places.

**From the Inbox or Contacts module:**

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/5Otzmr6vJExuqNmKx9esbo/f90fd2ae55fc7dd8ae81df21147f57a1/assign_stage-2.gif?w=480&fm=avif)
1. Open the contact’s conversation or profile.
2. Select the **Lifecycle stage**
3. Choose the stage you want from the list.
![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/5pb37iGsZAcoD1trNh3sCO/ca1e0416bb9ede798a5dc98b76807476/Screenshot_2025-05-23_at_11.45.42â__AM.png?fm=jpg&q=80&w=1200&fl=progressive)

To remove the current stage, click **Clear selection** (only available if a stage is already set).

#### Automatically assign new contacts:

You can set a default stage for all new contacts.

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/011RCLMYuvVvNvS7nHrEEM/e880b57705c340b0b2059d841edf97be/lifecycle-default.png?fm=jpg&q=80&w=1200&fl=progressive)
1. Go to **Settings > Workspace Settings > Lifecycle**.
2. Click the **three-dot menu** next to the stage you want to set as default.
3. Select **Set as default**.

Now, any new contact (including those created from incoming messages) will be assigned this stage automatically.

> 💡 Only one default stage can be active at a time. Setting a new one will replace the old one.

#### Deleting a Lifecycle Stage

You can remove a stage from your Lifecycle settings at any time. If the stage has contacts assigned to it, you’ll be asked what to do with them.

**To delete a stage:**

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/5bFtKDNaf5Hq8yubqXS7kH/37bffee63e3664bb073830df017bdd54/Screenshot_2025-05-23_at_11.46.53â__AM.png?fm=jpg&q=80&w=1200&fl=progressive)
1. Go to **Settings > Workspace Settings > Lifecycle**.
2. Find the stage you want to delete.
3. Click the **three-dot menu** next to the stage name.
4. Select **Delete**. If the stage has contacts:

  * You’ll see how many contacts are using that stage.
  * You can choose to move them to a different stage by checking **Assign Contact(s) to another Stage** and picking a new stage from the dropdown.
5. Click **Delete** to confirm.

> ⚠️ You must keep at least one Lifecycle stage. If there’s only one left, you won’t be able to delete it.

### Using Lifecycle in the Inbox Module

In the **Inbox module**, you can quickly assign and update stages for your Contacts. This includes both **Lifecycle Stages** and **Lost Stages**, allowing you to track progression in your sales process. For example, if a lead becomes unresponsive, you can move them to a Lost Stage such as Cold Lead.

> You can create **custom inboxes** to filter and manage Lost Stages as needed, as they don’t appear as a default inbox.

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/6eFC41GzTi3iLN3C6VtyDw/f8f25be0896a1d20b81785111159c38b/lifecycl-4.gif?w=480&fm=avif)

You can also filter conversations by stage, helping agents prioritize leads and focus on Contacts that are ready to move forward in the sales process.

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/dd5He2N3LyivVwZqoQyrq/07952f794fb133353adb8c7241a42ebd/lifecycle-5.gif?w=480&fm=avif)

Each time a Lifecycle Stage is updated, it creates a Contact Event that logs when and by whom the change was made. This helps keep a record of every stage transition, offering transparency and clarity to your team.

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/4iTpXBbQSr7Eb6yA5s8gPA/c02eb5c01cba21ec12217e11c91504b7/lifecycle-6.png?fm=jpg&q=80&w=1200&fl=progressive)

See how Lifecycle works in the Inbox module once it's turned on:

### Using Lifecycle in the Contacts Module

You can also view and change Stages of individual Contacts in the Contacts module.

To do this, select the Contact and the Lifecycle Stages will be displayed in the Contact details drawer. You can make changes to it as needed.

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/4k0rteVXnaeDbXdoSaTZKh/a5d855836688f584a88f93d25559c367/lifecycle-7.gif?w=480&fm=avif)

Owners and managers can also segment and filter Contacts by their Lifecycle Stage or Lost Stage, enabling better tracking of drop-offs and opportunities for re-engagement.

To filter, use the filter option to sort and view Contacts based on their current Lifecycle Stage. Using the filter option is a fast, efficient way to search and display Contacts based on their Lifecycle Stage or other criteria.

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/gQWyDyPM76DbvvNugSKKK/b366c1a447cdd194e01f8e4689b80a4c/lifecycle-8.gif?w=480&fm=avif)

You can also create Lifecycle segments to view and filter Contacts. Segments allow you to group and manage Contacts based on their stage, offering a convenient way to stay on top of your sales pipeline.

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/7I2NqGyE4lRm1Z5V73GHmG/b3f63c72b1eeaf21933d773929acb2f8/lifecycle-9-min.gif?w=480&fm=avif)

Each time a Contact’s Lifecycle Stage is updated, it’s logged as an activity in the Contact’s Activities tab. This provides a clear record of every stage change, helping you track a Contact’s journey over time.

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/3JxmP8RMM3SLVQS1Zq742Z/93c28ef1720084516eb43f268a6868bc/lifecycle-10.png?fm=jpg&q=80&w=1200&fl=progressive)

### Lifecycle Metrics in the Dashboard

![](https://assets2-proxy.respond.io/ph8r57dk1q9w/3YOAcgqa0ke6yA1KvvIFcV/1237167586beabc32109b5b70d3b32c4/lifecycle-dashboard.png?fm=jpg&q=80&w=1200&fl=progressive)

With Lifecycle metrics in the Dashboard, owners and managers can now view the distribution of Contacts across Lifecycle Stages at a glance. This includes real-time counts for each stage (excluding Lost Stages), such as the number of open, snoozed, or unassigned conversations for a given stage.

To view Lifecycle metrics:

1. Navigate to the **Dashboard**.
2. Scroll to the **Lifecycle** section.
3. View the metrics cards for each Lifecycle Stage.

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## 

Related articles 👩‍💻

* [AI AssistLearn how to set up and configure AI Assist. ](/help/workspace-settings/ai-assist)
* [AI PromptsLearn how to set up and configure AI Prompts. ](/help/workspace-settings/ai-prompts)
* [CallsLearn how to manage call configurations for your connected Call Channels. ](/help/workspace-settings/calls)
* [ChannelsUnder the Channel workspace settings section, you can edit and manage Channels connected to your Workspace. ](/help/workspace-settings/channels)
* [Contact FieldsCreate and manage Contact Fields to save additional information about your contacts. ](/help/workspace-settings/contact-fields)

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2026-10-16T08:04:26.290Z

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