Stage Management: When to Use Sub-stages
Stage Management: When to Use Sub-stages
Purpose: Sub-stages let you track more granular steps within a parent stage. This article helps you decide when sub-stages make sense for your workflow and when other options might be a better fit.
For basic setup instructions, see Getting Started: Step 5 - Stage Management →.
Stages vs Sub-stages
Stages represent the major milestones in a contact's journey — the big steps that everyone on your team recognizes.
Sub-stages sit underneath a parent stage and track more specific progress within that milestone. They're visible when you need the detail, but they don't clutter your main stage list.
When Sub-stages Might Be Useful
Sub-stages tend to work well when:
- A single stage has multiple internal steps that happen in sequence
- You want to track granular progress without adding more top-level stages
- Different team members handle different parts of the same stage
- You need reporting visibility into where things slow down within a stage
Example scenario: A "Loan Processing" stage might have several internal steps — documents received, submitted to underwriting, conditionally approved, clear to close. Rather than creating four separate top-level stages, some teams use sub-stages to track this progression while keeping the main stage list clean.
When Something Else Might Work Better
Sub-stages aren't always the right tool. Here are some alternatives to consider:
Custom Fields
If you're tracking information that doesn't represent a workflow step, a custom field might be a better fit.
| Scenario | Sub-stage or Custom Field? |
|---|---|
| Contact moved from "Pending Docs" to "Docs Received" | Sub-stage — this is workflow progression |
| Recording why a deal was lost | Custom Field — this is data capture, not a step |
| Tracking which loan product they chose | Custom Field — this is an attribute, not a milestone |
| Contact moved from "In Underwriting" to "Approved" | Sub-stage — this is workflow progression |
Tags
If you need temporary labels or want to trigger automations without changing someone's stage, tags might be the better option. Tags are flexible and can be added/removed without affecting pipeline position.
ProTip: Keeping It Simple
If your workflow doesn't have meaningful internal steps, you may not need sub-stages at all. There's no rule that says you have to use them — some teams run effectively with just top-level stages. Less is often more when it comes to stage structure.
How Sub-stages Appear in Sure Send
On contact records: The contact shows the parent stage name only — the sub-stage is indicated by the color. For example, if "Active Partner" is purple but the sub-stage "Onboarding" is yellow, you'll see "Active Partner" displayed in yellow. To see the sub-stage name, hover over the stage button.
In Smart Lists: You can filter by either parent stage or sub-stage. You can also add both Stage and Sub-stage as separate columns to see them side by side in your list view.
In automations: Stage changes (including sub-stage changes) can be used as triggers. All stages and sub-stages for People, Companies, and Contracts are available.
Stages for People, Companies, and Contracts
Sure Send maintains separate stage sets for each object type:
- People — Contact/lead stages
- Companies — Company-level stages (if you track company relationships)
- Contracts — Deal/transaction stages
Each has its own stage list, so you can customize the journey for each object type independently.
Active vs Inactive Stages
When creating or editing a stage, you'll see an Active Stage checkbox. The help text reads: "Inactive stages won't be available for new assignments."
This means:
- Contacts already in an inactive stage stay there — they're not moved automatically
- The inactive stage won't appear as an option when assigning stages to new contacts (including leads coming in through lead flow)
- You can reactivate a stage later if needed
This is useful when you're cleaning up old stages but don't want to lose historical data.
Tips for Keeping Stages Manageable
- Start with fewer stages. You can always add more later. It's harder to consolidate stages once contacts are spread across them.
- Name stages clearly. Choose names your whole team will understand without explanation.
- Reorder to match your actual flow. Drag and drop stages so they appear in the order contacts typically progress through them.
- Review periodically. As your workflow evolves, revisit your stage structure to make sure it still reflects reality.