Overview
Your leads pipeline is the starting point for every project your company will ever build. If leads aren't being tracked consistently, opportunities get dropped, follow-ups get missed, and you have no visibility into what's coming next. Structur's Leads Pipeline gives your entire team a single place to see every active opportunity, where it stands, and what needs to happen next to move it forward.
The pipeline uses a kanban-style board with customizable stages that mirror your actual sales process. Leads move through stages automatically when key actions happen, like creating an estimate or sending a proposal, so your pipeline stays accurate without requiring manual updates at every step. You can view the pipeline as a board, a list, or a dashboard depending on what you need to see, and filter it down to just your leads or the full company view.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know to use the Leads Pipeline effectively, from adding your first lead to converting a signed proposal into an active project.
Understanding the Leads Pipeline
What It Does
The Leads Pipeline allows you and your team to:
Track every opportunity at a glance across customizable stages from first inquiry to signed contract
Create leads quickly from the board view with a single click, or with full detail using the New Lead form
Move leads automatically through key stages when estimates are created or proposals are sent
Filter the pipeline to see all company leads or just the ones assigned to you
Switch between Board, List, and Dashboard views depending on whether you need a visual overview, a detailed list, or pipeline metrics
Customize stages by adding your own custom stages with colors and visibility controls
Convert approved leads into active projects automatically when a proposal is approved
When to Use It
The Leads Pipeline is most valuable when you want to:
See the full state of your sales pipeline at a glance
Make sure no inquiry or opportunity is being missed or sitting unattended
Understand which stage each lead is in and what the next action should be
Filter down to your personal assignments and focus on what you're responsible for
Track where leads came from and how they progress through your sales process
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Open the Leads Pipeline
Click Leads in the left sidebar
You'll land on the Leads Pipeline in Board view by default, showing all your leads organized into stage columns.
2. Understand the Default Stages
Structur provides built-in stages that cover a standard construction sales process. These are labeled (App Default) and cannot be deleted:
New Lead - all fresh inquiries start here, including leads that come in automatically from your website embed form
Ballpark Sent - a rough estimate has been provided to the client for early-stage qualification
Qualified Lead - the lead meets your criteria and is worth investing time in detailed estimating
In Design - project details are being finalized and plans or specifications are in development
Estimating - a detailed cost estimate is being built. Leads move here automatically when you create the first estimate.
Proposal Sent - a formal proposal has been delivered to the client. Leads move here automatically when you send the proposal.
Qualified Out - the lead was determined not to be a good fit and has been archived
Stages with automations show a lightning bolt icon in Board view. Click it to see which automation is active for that stage.
3. Add a New Lead
Option A - Full Lead Entry:
Click + New Lead in the top right
The Create New Lead modal opens. Fill in the details:
Name (required) - the project name or lead identifier
Creation Date (required) - auto-fills with today's date
Stage (required) - defaults to New Lead, change if needed
Project Type - select from your list or click Manage Options to customize
Project Address - the site address
Description - project overview or notes
Design Team - select any architects or engineers involved
Proposal Due Date - when the proposal needs to be delivered
Lead Source - where this lead came from, click Manage Options to customize your list
Estimated Project Amount - enter a dollar range (low to high)
Confidence - drag the slider to set your confidence percentage on winning this lead
Notes - rich text field for any additional details
In the Client Info section, either click Create New Contact to add a new client or Choose From Existing Contacts to link an existing client. Required fields for a new contact are Name and Email.
Click Create
Option B - Quick Add from Board View:
Switch to Board view
At the bottom of any stage column, click + New Lead
Type the lead name and press Enter
The lead is created immediately in that stage. Add full details by opening it later.
4. Open and Work a Lead
Click Open on any lead card to open the full lead record. From inside a lead you have access to the full module top bar including Overview, General, Intake, Ballparks, Takeoff, Estimates, Proposals, Bid Pkgs, Tasks, Daily Logs, Schedules, Timesheets, Submittals, Checklists, RFIs, Files, Emails, and more.
5. Filter the Pipeline
Use the filter dropdown in the top left to switch between views:
All Leads - shows every lead in the company pipeline except lost leads
My Leads - shows only leads where you are assigned as Sales Rep, Estimator, Project Manager, or Superintendent
Lost Leads - shows only leads that have been marked as lost
Use My Leads to focus on your personal responsibilities and reduce pipeline clutter during your daily review.
6. Switch Between Views
Use the view toggles in the top right to switch between:
Board - visual kanban columns with drag-and-drop stage updates. Best for daily pipeline management and quick stage changes.
List - spreadsheet-style layout showing more detail per lead. Best for sorting, filtering, and detailed review.
Dashboard - high-level metrics showing pipeline health, conversion statistics, and stage counts. Best for reporting and weekly reviews.
7. Manage and Customize Stages
Click the gear icon in the top right of the Leads Pipeline to open Manage Stages.
The left panel shows all current stages. Default stages are labeled (App Default). You can drag them to reorder using the six-dot handle, but you cannot delete them. You can hide a default stage by toggling its Visible setting off.
To create a custom stage:
Click + New Custom Stage
Enter a Stage name
Set the Color, Background Color, and Border Color
Toggle Visible on or off
Click Create
Custom stages appear in your pipeline alongside the defaults and can be deleted or edited at any time.
8. Understand Lead Automations
Structur automatically moves leads through certain stages based on actions your team takes. These automations reduce manual updates and keep your pipeline accurate without extra effort.
New Lead stage - leads submitted through your website embed form automatically land here
Estimating stage - when you create the first estimate on a lead, it automatically moves to Estimating
Proposal Sent stage - when you send a proposal to the client, the lead automatically moves to Proposal Sent
Projects Pipeline - when a proposal is approved, the lead automatically converts to an active project and moves to the Projects Pipeline
Stages with active automations show a lightning bolt icon in Board view. Click the icon to see what automation is set for that stage.
Note: Automations do not override manual stage changes. You can move a lead to any stage at any time manually. Automations only trigger on the specific actions listed above.
9. Customize Project Types and Lead Sources
Both Project Type and Lead Source fields have customizable option lists. Click Manage Options next to either field when creating or editing a lead to add, edit, or remove options.
Common project types: Residential renovation, Commercial ground-up, Multi-family, Tenant improvement, Custom home
Common lead sources: Website, Referral, Past client, Marketing campaign, Trade show, Cold outreach
Best Practices
Assign roles on every lead - assign a Sales Rep, Estimator, Project Manager, and Superintendent so the My Leads filter works correctly and notifications go to the right people.
Use the Confidence slider - tracking confidence percentage on each lead helps you forecast revenue and prioritize where to spend estimating time.
Set proposal due dates - adding a due date creates accountability and makes it easy to spot leads where you're running out of time.
Review your pipeline weekly - a weekly Board view review keeps the pipeline current and ensures nothing is sitting in the wrong stage.
Use My Leads for daily focus - start each day in My Leads so you're only looking at what you're personally responsible for.
Keep stage descriptions honest - a lead should only be in Proposal Sent if the proposal has actually been sent. Inaccurate stages make the pipeline useless for forecasting.
Use Qualified Out promptly - when a lead isn't a fit, move it to Qualified Out so your active pipeline reflects real opportunities only.
Common Questions
Q: Can I delete the default stages?
A: No. Default stages labeled (App Default) cannot be deleted. You can hide them by toggling their Visible setting off in Manage Stages, but the data is preserved.
Q: What happens to leads in a hidden stage?
A: If a stage still has leads in it, toggling it to not visible will automatically switch it back to visible. You need to move all leads out of a stage before you can successfully hide it. Once the stage is empty, you can toggle it off and it will stay hidden.
Q: Can I have multiple leads for the same client?
A: Yes. A client can have as many leads as needed. Each one is tracked independently in the pipeline.
Q: Do automations override manual stage changes?
A: No. You can move a lead to any stage manually at any time. Automations only trigger on specific actions like creating an estimate or sending a proposal.
Q: What is the difference between Qualified Out and Lost Leads?
A: Qualified Out is a pipeline stage for leads you chose not to pursue before sending a proposal. Lost Leads is a filter that shows leads where the client chose a competitor or decided not to proceed after a proposal was sent.
Q: Where do leads from my website embed form go?
A: They land automatically in the New Lead stage. Your team receives a notification based on the notification settings you configured in the embed form.
Q: Can I reorder the pipeline stages?
A: Yes. Open Manage Stages using the gear icon and drag any stage to a new position using the six-dot handle on the left.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
Leave leads in the wrong stage after taking action | Let automations do the work and update manually when automations don't apply |
Skip assigning roles on new leads | Assign Sales Rep, Estimator, PM, and Superintendent so filters and notifications work |
Create too many custom stages | Keep the stage structure simple and meaningful - too many stages creates confusion |
Ignore the Confidence and Proposal Due Date fields | Fill in these fields so you can forecast revenue and track urgency |
Mix up Qualified Out and Lost Leads | Use Qualified Out for leads you declined and Lost for leads the client declined |
Let leads sit in Estimating without follow-up | Review your pipeline weekly and move stale leads or close them out |