Zoho CRM multiple sales pipelines: when to use them and what to check first

What multiple pipelines are, per Zoho

• Zoho's Deals module lets you create several pipelines so deals with different sales processes follow their own stages.
• Zoho's FAQ says pipelines can only be created for the Deals module, not custom modules.
• Pipelines are layout specific, and you can create multiple pipelines for each layout.
• The first time you create a pipeline, Zoho creates a system-defined standard pipeline from the Stage pick list and links all existing deals to it. You can rename and customise it.
• Users with the Module Customization permission can use the feature. The help article does not state edition availability or limits; check Zoho's feature availability page.

Source: Zoho Help: Multiple Sales Pipeline, Zoho Help: FAQ - Multiple Sales Pipeline

Creating and changing a pipeline, per Zoho

• Go to Setup, Customization, Pipelines, click New Pipeline, name it, choose a layout and add stages.
• New stages take a name, probability, record category and forecast category. The same stage uses the same probability across pipelines.
• Set as Default makes a pipeline the default for new deals. Zoho's FAQ says a pipeline cannot be chosen automatically at deal creation; the default pre-fills the field and the user can change it.
• Within the same layout you can move a deal between pipelines manually, and Mass Update can move batches. For a different layout, change the layout first, then the pipeline.
• Removing a stage from a pipeline does not delete it from CRM.

Source: Zoho Help: Multiple Sales Pipeline, Zoho Help: FAQ - Multiple Sales Pipeline

What happens when you delete a pipeline, per Zoho

• If open deals exist you must transfer them to another pipeline and map the stages.
• Closed deals stay in the deleted pipeline and are not transferred; Zoho's FAQ says they appear under Unaccounted in Kanban view.
• Stage-based blueprints are tied to a pipeline, and deleting a pipeline also deletes its blueprints.
• Records locked by an approval or review process in the Pipeline or Stage field are not transferred.

Source: Zoho Help: Multiple Sales Pipeline, Zoho Help: FAQ - Multiple Sales Pipeline

Effects on imports, mass updates and visibility, per Zoho

• Imports need a pipeline assigned, either through a mapped column or a default value. Records are skipped on layout-pipeline or pipeline-stage mismatches, and the import history lists reasons.
• Mass update matches records by layout, then pipeline, then stage; non-matching records are skipped.
• Migrated deals without a pipeline go to the default pipeline of the selected layout.
• Zoho says you cannot set visibility criteria for pipelines and stages. Layout rules can show fields or make them mandatory based on pipeline.
• Zoho says layouts capture different details in one module, whereas pipelines track the stages of different sales processes.

Source: Zoho Help: Multiple Sales Pipeline, Zoho Help: FAQ - Multiple Sales Pipeline

Before you split your pipeline (practical advice)

This section is advice from experience, not vendor documentation.

• Split only where the stages genuinely differ. If only a few fields differ, a layout or layout rule may be enough.
• Map your reports, forecasts and automation to the new stages before go-live, since stage-based blueprints are tied to a pipeline.
• Plan what happens to open deals, and know that closed deals stay behind if you delete a pipeline.
• Test the import and transfer steps in a sandbox first.

Want this designed for your sales process?

Skyfall Labs designs and configures Zoho CRM pipelines, layouts and automation around how your team actually sells. Because we are a Zoho Partner, treat our view with the interest we have disclosed.