How to Use Insightly: A Complete Guideline in 2026

Do you feel like you are drowning in sticky notes?

Trying to track every customer in a spreadsheet is messy.

You might write a name down and lose it five minutes later.

When you lose that number, you lose the deal.

You miss out on money, and your team looks disorganized. It is stressful to guess what you need to do next.

Insightly stops the chaos.

It organizes your contacts, tasks, and sales in one place.

This guide will show you exactly how to use Insightly and its top features to get your business under control.

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How to Use Tasks

A task is simply a job you need to finish. It could be a phone call, an email, or a meeting.

In insightly crm, tasks are special because they connect directly to your projects and deals.

This keeps everything organized in one place.

Many users forget to follow up with leads. When you use tasks properly, you never drop the ball.

You can set due dates and reminders.

This ensures you always know what to do next for your customers.

Tutorial: Creating Your First Task

Setting up a task is quick. It connects your to-do list to your actual work.

1. Go to the Tasks Tab: In the left sidebar, click the “Tasks” icon.
2. Start a New Task: Click the red New Task button at the top of the screen.
3. Name Your Task: Type a clear name. For example, imagine you need to “Call the unbounce company about the new contract.”
4. Link It: This is the most important part. Find the “Related To” box. Type the name of the contact or organization. Now, this task lives on their profile page.
5. Add Details: You can use custom fields to add extra information, such as priority level or estimated time.
6. Set a Date: Pick a “Due Date” so the system reminds you.
7. Save: Click the Save button. You are done.

Tutorial: Using Activity Sets

Do you do the same five things for every new client?

Good business practices say you should not type those tasks every time.

You can use Activity Sets to speed this up. This is a basic form of automation that saves you clicks.

1. Find System Settings: Click your profile icon and go to “System Settings.”
2. Locate Activity Sets: Look for the “Activity Sets” tab in the menu.
3. Create a Set: Click “New Activity Set.” Name it something like “New Client Welcome.”
4. Add Your Steps: List the standard jobs you do. For example:
   • Send a welcome email.
   • Mail the brochure.
   • Schedule the kickoff meeting.
5. Set the Timeline: Choose when these happen. You can set the email to go out immediately and the meeting for 3 days later.
6. Apply It: The next time you get a new deal, you can add this entire set with one click.

Using these tools makes your crm work harder for you. You stop worrying about your schedule and focus on closing deals.

How to Use AI Automations

Stop doing busy work. Automation is like having a robot assistant.

It handles the boring stuff so you can talk to real people. Insightly uses smart tools to move data for you.

This helps teams stay aligned and improves overall efficiency.

When you automate tasks, you save hours every week. Data entry errors go down. Speed goes up.

This lets you focus on building relationships instead of typing data.

Tutorial: Setting Up a Simple Workflow

You can set up rules to handle jobs automatically. For example, you can send an email instantly when you close a deal. You do not need a training video to figure this out. It is simple.

1. Open Settings, then log in to your account. Click your profile icon and select “System Settings.”
2. Find Automation: Look for “Workflow Automation” in the menu. Click “New Workflow.”
3. Choose the Object: In Insightly, data types are called objects. Select “Opportunity” from the list.
4. Set the Trigger: Select “When a record is updated.”
5. Define Criteria: Tell the system what to look for. Choose “Stage” equals “Closed Won.”
6. Add an Action: Select “Send Email.” Pick your “Thank You” email template.
7. Activate: Turn it on. Now, every time you win, the system sends a thank-you note. It is a smart investment of your time to set this up once.

Tutorial: Using Insightly Copilot

Insightly has AI features that write for you. This helps you communicate with prospects faster. It gives you time to do other things.

1. Open a Record: Go to a Contact or Lead page.
2. Find the Email Tab: Look for the “Email” section.
3. Launch AI: Start a new email. You will see an AI Assistant button.
4. Give a Command: Ask it to “Draft a follow-up email for a missed meeting.”
5. Review: The AI writes the text for you. Read it over to make sure it sounds like you.
6. Send: Click send.

You just finished a writing job in seconds. Using these tools changes how you work.

How to Use Modern CRM

A “Modern CRM” is not just a digital address book. It is a visual map of your business.

It shows you who knows whom and where every dollar comes from. When you visualize your sales, you make better choices.

You can configure the system to fit exactly how your company works.

This section will walk you through Insightly’s visual tools.

These features help ensure that no deal gets lost in a messy list.

Tutorial: Customizing Your Pipeline (Kanban View)

The pipeline view looks like a board with columns. It lets you see your progress instantly.

1. Find Opportunities: Click on the “Opportunities” tab.
2. Switch Views: Look for the “Pipeline” icon. It looks like a board with columns.
3. View the Stages: You will see columns like “Prospecting,” “Pitch,” and “Negotiation.
4. Move Deals: Click a deal card. Drag and drop it into the next column. The totals update automatically.
5. Edit Stages: If the columns do not match your process, go to Settings. You can rename the stages there. This helps you track sales the way you actually talk about them in meetings.

Tutorial: Linking Records

This is a superpower of modern CRMs. You can connect different pieces of data.

This shows you the full picture.

1. Open a Contact: Click on a name, like “Jane Doe.”
2. Go to Related: Click the “Related” tab on her profile.
3. Add a Link: Click “Add Link.” Search for another person, like “John Smith.”
4. Define it: Type how they know each other. You might write “John is Jane’s Boss.”
5. Save: Now, when you look at Jane, you see John too.

How to Learn More

If you want to master these tools, you have many options.

You can learn a lot by doing, but extra help is available.

• Watch Clips: Many training videos are available online.
• Search Online: You can find official guides on YouTube.
• Join Events: Sign up for webinars. These live events let you see experts demonstrate the tools.

Using these resources is the best way to get comfortable with the software.

Insightly Alternatives

Insightly Compared

Conclusion

We covered a lot today. You learned how to create tasks that track themselves.

You saw how AI automations can handle your busy work. You also explored modern CRM features that clearly show your sales.

Insightly is a powerful tool. However, it only works if you use it every day.

Do not be afraid to click buttons and test new things.

You cannot break the system. Start small by picking one feature from this guide.

Use it today. Your future self will thank you for finally getting organized.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Facts about Insightly

• Extra Help: Insightly has a special “Premier” plan that gives you your own teacher and faster help when you have a problem.
• One-on-One Learning: With the top plan, you get private online lessons and expert coaching to help your team use the software better.
• Smart Planning: The plan includes reviews to make sure your company is getting its money’s worth and long-term programs to keep everyone using the tools.
• Connecting Apps: Insightly can talk to over 500 other computer programs through a tool called AppConnect, so all your work stays in one place.
• Tracking Success: You can build colorful dashboards to see how well you are selling things and if your projects are finishing on time.
• Auto-Marketing: The “journey builder” sends out emails automatically to people who might want to buy from you, based on what they click.
• Fast Task Lists: You can save lists of chores and meetings called “Activity Sets” so you don’t have to type them out every single time.
• From Sales to Work: Unlike many other tools, Insightly has project management built-in, so you can start working on a project the moment a customer says “yes.”
• Record Keeping: It automatically keeps track of every phone call, email, and meeting you have with a customer so you never forget what happened.
• Smooth Handoffs: You can set up “workflows” that automatically send welcome emails or tell the next team when it is their turn to work.
• Learning Center: There is a big collection of YouTube videos, articles, and webinars that show you tips and tricks for using the CRM.
• AI Assistant: In 2026, Insightly uses AI to read long email chains for you and even help you write replies to customers.
• Rule-Based Actions: You can tell the computer to do things for you, like changing a customer’s status or sending an alert, whenever certain rules are met.