Stage History
A related list on the Salesforce Opportunity object that tracks changes to the opportunity's stage over time, recording each stage transition with dates to provide visibility into deal progression.
Definition
A related list on the Salesforce Opportunity object that tracks changes to the opportunity's stage over time, recording each stage transition with dates to provide visibility into deal progression.
In plain English
“Stage History is a related list on the Salesforce Opportunity object that tracks changes to the opportunity's stage over time. It records each stage transition with dates, showing how the deal progressed through the pipeline from start to finish.”
Worked example
An AE at Heatherwell Software opens a closed-lost Opportunity to understand why it slipped. The Stage History related list shows the deal's complete progression: Discovery on day 0, Proposal on day 14, Negotiation on day 28, Pulled-back-to-Proposal on day 35 (red flag), Negotiation again on day 42, Closed Lost on day 60 - with timestamps and the user who triggered each transition. The stage-by-stage timeline tells the story of how the deal evolved and where it stalled. Stage History is automatically maintained by the platform on the Opportunity object - the team didn't have to configure anything.
Why Stage History matters
Stage History is a related list on the Salesforce Opportunity object that tracks changes to the opportunity's stage over time, recording each stage transition with dates to provide visibility into how the deal progressed through the pipeline. Each entry shows the previous stage, new stage, transition date, and the amount at that time.
Stage history is valuable for understanding deal progression patterns. Analyzing stage history across many opportunities reveals how deals typically move through the pipeline: which stages they pass through, how long they stay, whether they skip stages, and whether they regress to earlier stages. Mature sales analytics use stage history data for process optimization.
How organizations use Stage History
Analyzes stage history across opportunities to understand typical deal progression patterns.
Uses stage history to identify deals that regress to earlier stages for investigation.
Reports on stage transitions for sales process optimization.
🧠 Test your knowledge
Q1. What is Stage History?
Q2. What does each entry show?
Q3. What can history analysis reveal?
Discussion
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