Before configuring Stage Triggers, it’s important to understand how your pipelines are structured—begin with An In-Depth Guide to Sales Goals and An In-Depth Guide to Marketing Goals, which explain how stages, goals, and opportunity movement function within each system. Once that foundation is in place, Stage Triggers are automation rules that operate directly within both Sales () and Marketing (
) pipeline stages, allowing workflows to respond automatically as opportunities and contacts move, engage, or change state. Their primary role is to ensure that key events inside either pipeline are recognized the moment they occur, helping teams enforce timing, prevent stalled deals, and maintain consistent process execution without manual oversight.
At the center of every Stage Trigger is the When function. The When function defines the specific event that activates an automation, such as an opportunity entering a stage, a task becoming overdue, or a contact engaging with an email. By anchoring automations to these real-time events, When functions make your workflows reliable, event-driven, and tightly aligned to actual pipeline activity. Once a When condition is met, an action is executed automatically—those actions are handled by Then functions, which are covered in a separate article.
In the sections that follow, we’ll focus on the available When functions and explain how each trigger works, what event it listens for, and when it should be used. Understanding these activation conditions is essential for designing automations that run at the right moment and support a smooth, predictable sales process.
When Functions — Table of Contents
Opportunity/Contact is moved to this stage
Opportunity/Contact is stalled in this stage
Contact sent email to user
Contact opened email
Contact clicked email
Call happened
Contact field changed
Task completed
Task overdue
Webhook received
Public opt-in (form submit)
Opportunity/Contact is moved to this stage (
/
)
What it does
Triggers the automation immediately when an opportunity enters a specific pipeline stage, regardless of whether the move was manual, automated, or done via bulk action.
Examples of use
Instant engagement: Send an email or SMS when a deal reaches New Lead or Proposal.
Sales handoff: Assign tasks or notify a rep when an opportunity becomes Qualified.
Post-conversion workflows: Trigger onboarding or internal alerts when a deal hits Closed Won.
Opportunity/Contact is stalled in this stage (/)
What it does
Triggers when an opportunity remains in a stage longer than the configured SLA, indicating inactivity or delay.
Examples of use
Deal rescue: Send a follow-up message when a deal has stalled too long.
Escalation: Notify a manager if negotiation exceeds SLA limits.
Pipeline hygiene: Automatically move or flag stagnant opportunities.
Contact sent email to user ()
What it does
Triggers when a contact replies to or sends an email to a user in your system.
Examples of use
Immediate response: Create a task for the rep when a prospect replies.
Re-engagement: Move the opportunity to an active stage after a response.
Internal alerts: Notify the owner that inbound communication occurred.
Contact opened email (/)
What it does
Triggers when a contact opens an email sent from the system.
Examples of use
Interest detection: Move opportunities forward after email engagement.
Timed follow-up: Create a reminder task after an open.
Lead scoring: Update a contact field to reflect engagement.
Contact clicked email (/)
What it does
Triggers when a contact clicks a link inside an email.
Examples of use
High-intent actions: Move a deal to Qualified after a key link click.
Targeted follow-up: Send a contextual email based on clicked content.
Sales alerts: Notify reps when prospects show buying intent.
Call happened ()
What it does
Triggers when a logged call activity occurs for a contact or opportunity.
Examples of use
Next steps: Automatically create a follow-up task after a call.
Pipeline movement: Advance an opportunity after a successful call.
Data updates: Log call outcomes into contact or opportunity fields.
Contact field changed ()
What it does
Triggers when a specific contact field value changes, either manually or through automation.
Examples of use
Lifecycle transitions: Start automation when status changes to Customer.
Qualification logic: Trigger actions when a score or tag updates.
Routing: Reassign ownership when territory fields change.
Task completed ()
What it does
Triggers when a task is marked as completed.
Examples of use
Sequential workflows: Create the next task automatically.
Pipeline updates: Move opportunities forward after required actions.
Accountability: Log completion or notify managers.
Task overdue ()
What it does
Triggers when a task passes its due date without being completed.
Examples of use
Escalation: Notify managers when tasks are missed.
Reminders: Send alerts to reps for overdue follow-ups.
SLA enforcement: Flag or move stalled opportunities.
Webhook received ()
What it does
Triggers when an external system sends a webhook into SalesNexus.
Examples of use
System integrations: Sync activity from third-party platforms.
Real-time updates: Create or update records from external events.
Advanced automation: Trigger pipelines from external workflows.
Public opt-in (form submit) ()
What it does
Triggers when a contact submits a public form, such as a signup or lead capture form.
Examples of use
Lead creation: Automatically create or enroll new opportunities.
Immediate outreach: Send confirmation or welcome messages.
Segmentation: Update contact fields or assign ownership.
You’re All Set
With your trigger conditions defined, Stage Triggers become a powerful automation engine that ensures workflows activate at the exact right moment. By anchoring automations to real-time pipeline events—such as stage movement, engagement activity, or task changes—you create reliable, event-driven processes that eliminate guesswork and reduce manual oversight.
To explore how actions are executed after a trigger condition is met, continue to the companion article: Navigating Stage Triggers: Then Functions, where each automation outcome is explained in detail and mapped to real-world use cases.
To revisit how pipelines are structured and managed in the new SalesNexus experience, you can return to the detailed guides below:
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.