> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nextlevelmca.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How do I make deals move to a stage automatically?

> Bind a pipeline stage to an event, such as first submission or contracts signed, so deals move there on their own.

Each stage on your board can be bound to an event. When the event happens on a deal, the deal moves into that stage by itself. This is set up in **Settings → Pipeline**.

<Note>Changing the pipeline needs permission to edit Settings (admins have it). Everyone else sees the board move.</Note>

## Bind a stage to an event

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings → Pipeline">
    Your stages are listed under their phase: Pre-Offer, Offer, Contract, Funded and Dead. The **Automation trigger** column shows each stage's event, or **Manual** if it has none.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the stage's trigger">
    Click **Manual** (or the event already shown) next to the stage. The list of events that fit that stage's phase opens.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the event">
    Choose one and you see *Trigger set*. Choose **None** to make it a manual stage again. Click **Done** to close the list.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Changes save as you make them. Stages with an event show a ⚡ on the board and in the **Board column order** strip at the top of the page.

Each event can drive only one stage, so an event already bound to another stage isn't offered. To move it, set that stage to **None** first.

## The events

| Event | Moves the deal when | Phase the stage must be in |
| - | - | - |
| **First submission sent** | the first submission to a lender is sent | Pre-Offer |
| **Documents missing** | the deal has no bank statements, or the analysis shows months missing | Pre-Offer |
| **Documents received** | the bank statements are complete and every open document request is fulfilled | Pre-Offer |
| **First offer logged** | the first offer is logged | Offer |
| **Merchant accepted an offer** | the merchant accepts an offer in the merchant portal | Offer or Contract |
| **Contracts requested** | contracts are requested from the lender | Offer or Contract |
| **Contracts sent** | contracts are sent on the primary offer | Contract |
| **Contracts signed** | the primary offer's contracts are signed | Contract |
| **Marked funded** | the primary offer is marked funded | Funded |
| **Marked dead** | the deal is marked dead | Dead |

A new workspace starts with **Submitted** bound to *First submission sent*, **Offer received** to *First offer logged*, **Contracts sent** to *Contracts sent*, **Funded** to *Marked funded* and **Dead** to *Marked dead*. The others are yours to bind.

## Documents missing and documents received

These two watch a deal's paperwork. They aren't bound by default. A common setup is to bind your **Missing docs** stage to *Documents missing*, and add a stage after it, such as **Ready to submit**, bound to *Documents received*.

* "Missing" is measured against **Bank statements required** in **Settings → General → Preferences**: the full months needed per bank account, plus a month-to-date statement from the day set there.
* Statements that are uploaded but not analyzed yet count as neither missing nor received.
* They're checked a couple of minutes after a deal is created (so statements uploaded with it count), after every statement analysis, and when a document request is fulfilled.

## Rules the board follows

* **Deals only move forward on their own.** If a deal is already past the bound stage, the event is ignored.
* **Event stages only take deals from their event.** You can't drag a deal into a stage bound to a submission, offer or contract event; the board tells you what moves deals there. *Documents missing* and *Documents received* are the exception: you can still drag deals into those stages yourself.
* **Funded and Dead ask first.** Dragging to Funded needs an offer marked funded, and Dead asks for a reason.
* **Manual stages drag freely.** A stage with no event is just a column.

See [Deals and the pipeline](/help/deals-and-pipeline) for adding, renaming and reordering stages.

## Common problems

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="A deal didn't move">
    Check the stage is bound to the event (⚡ on the stage), and that the deal isn't already in a later stage. Deals never move backwards on their own.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The event I want isn't in the list">
    It's either bound to another stage already, or doesn't fit this stage's phase. For example, *Contracts signed* only fits a Contract stage. Drag the stage under the right phase header first.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I can't drag a deal into a stage">
    That stage is driven by an event. Do the thing that moves it there, for example log the offer or send the contracts, from the deal.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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