How to Use Pipedrive: Key Features Explained in 2026?

Quick Start

This guide covers every Pipedrive feature:

• Getting Started — Create your Pipedrive account and set up the basics
• How to Use Leads Management — Keep unqualified leads out of your sales pipeline until they are ready
• How to Use Manage Deals — Drag deals between stages and watch deal progress update instantly
• How to Use Projects Management — Track delivery work after the sale without leaving your CRM software
• How to Use Easy Campaigns — Send segmented broadcasts to contacts without a separate marketing tool
• How to Use Detailed Insights — Build custom reporting and forecast revenue from live pipeline data
• How to Use AI CRM — Get AI suggestions on which deals need attention today
• How to Use Email Marketing — Sync your mail, track opens, and reuse templates with placeholders
• How to Use Marketplace Integrations — Connect 500+ apps or build custom integrations with the REST API
• How to Use Documents & Templates — Send trackable quotes and contracts with e-signatures from the deal

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I have used Pipedrive for three years across two companies and tested every feature covered here.

This Pipedrive tutorial comes from real hands-on work, not vendor screenshots.

Pipedrive is one of the best known pieces of CRM software in the world.

Most people only ever touch deals and contacts.

This guide shows you how to use Pipedrive properly, feature by feature.

Every step is short, with checkpoints so you know it worked.

Pipedrive Tutorial

This How to Use Pipedrive tutorial walks through each feature in order.

It starts at your first login and ends with the reporting your boss reads.

Pipedrive

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Getting Started with Pipedrive

Basic setup takes a few minutes.

Here is my personal experience getting started:

Now let’s walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Visit the Pipedrive website and click Start free trial.

Enter your work email, then choose a pricing plan for the 14-day trial.

Pipedrive has no free plan, so pick the tier closest to what you need.

✓ Checkpoint: Check your inbox for the confirmation mail.

Step 2: Sync Email and Calendar

Pipedrive runs in any browser, plus a mobile app on iOS and Android.

Open account settings and connect your email and calendar first.

This one step makes tracking automatic instead of manual.

Here is what you get once it is connected:

✓ Checkpoint: Your meetings appear in the Pipedrive activity calendar.

Step 3: Customize Your Pipeline

Open Pipeline settings and rename the default stages to match your sales process.

Add a probability to each stage so forecasts mean something.

Then add team members and import your existing contacts from a spreadsheet or old CRM.

How to Use Pipedrive Leads Manager

Leads Management lets you park early-stage leads in a separate Leads Inbox until they are qualified.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Leads Inbox

Click Leads in the left menu of your Pipedrive account.

This inbox holds prospects you have not qualified yet.

Step 2: Add or Import Leads

Click Add lead, or import a spreadsheet of contacts.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your new lead appears in the Leads Inbox with a labelled source.

Step 3: Convert Qualified Leads

Hit Convert to deal once a lead replies and shows real interest.

How to Manage Pipedrive Deals

Manage Deals lets you drag every deal through your sales pipeline and see deal progress in real time.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create a Deal

Click Add deal, then attach a person and an organization.

Set the value and the expected close date now, not later.

Step 2: Move It Through Stages

Drag the deal card to the next stage when something real happens.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The deal card sits in its new stage and the pipeline total updates.

Step 3: Log the Next Activity

Every deal needs one scheduled activity, such as a call or email.

How to Use Pipedrive Projects Manager

Projects Management lets you hand won deals to your delivery teams and track every task after the sale.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Projects

Click Projects in the left menu, then choose Add project.

You can create a project straight from a won deal.

Step 2: Build Your Phases

Add phases such as Kickoff, Build, and Handover.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your project board shows phases across the top and task cards below.

Step 3: Assign Tasks

Add a task to each phase and give it an owner and a due date.

Anyone on the team can comment on a task to keep context in one place.

How to Use Pipedrive Easy Campaigns

Easy Campaigns lets you send segmented email blasts to your contacts with a drag-and-drop builder.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Campaigns

Click Campaigns, then choose Create campaign.

Campaigns is a paid add-on on every plan.

Step 2: Pick Your Segment

Filter recipients by stage, label, owner, or any custom field.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The preview pane shows your layout on both desktop and mobile.

Step 3: Design and Send

Drag blocks into the editor, add your links, then schedule the send.

How to Use Pipedrive Detailed Insights

Detailed Insights lets you build custom dashboards and reporting that forecast revenue for your company.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Insights

Click Insights, then Add report.

Explore the template library before you build a report from scratch.

Step 2: Choose Your Metrics

Group by owner, stage, or source, then set the date range.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The chart renders and the underlying deals are one click away.

Step 3: Pin It to a Dashboard

Save the report and drop it onto a shared dashboard for your sales team.

How to Use Pipedrive AI CRM

AI CRM lets you let the AI Sales Assistant suggest your next step on every open deal.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the AI Sales Assistant

Click the assistant icon in the top bar.

It reads your activity history, not your private mail.

Step 2: Review the Suggestions

Check flagged deals that have gone quiet or lost momentum.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The assistant panel lists ranked suggestions with a reason under each one.

Step 3: Act or Dismiss

Schedule an activity from the card, or dismiss the tip to train it.

How to Use Pipedrive Email Marketer

Email Marketing lets you sync your inbox, track opens, and send templates with merge placeholders.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Sync Your Email

Open account settings, then connect Gmail, Outlook, or any IMAP mail.

Two-way sync pulls threads onto the matching contact automatically.

Step 2: Create a Template

Save your best outreach email with placeholders such as first name and company.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The sent email appears in the deal timeline with a tracking icon.

Step 3: Send and Track

Send from the deal, then watch open and click tracking on the timeline.

How to Use Pipedrive Marketplace Integrations

Marketplace Integrations lets you connect over 500 apps or build your own with the Pipedrive REST API.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Marketplace

Click the marketplace icon, then search for the app you need.

Apps sit in categories such as lead generation, accounting, and phone.

Step 2: Install and Authorise

Click Install, then sign in to the other tool to complete the handshake.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The app shows as connected under Tools and apps in account settings.

Step 3: Map Your Data

Choose which deals, contacts, and files sync in each direction.

How to Use Pipedrive Documents & Templates

Documents & Templates lets you send quotes, proposals, and contracts with e-signatures from inside the deal.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Documents

Open a deal, scroll to the Documents panel, then click Add document.

You can associate different types of files with a deal, lead, or organization.

Step 2: Add Merge Fields

Drop in deal value, contact details, and product lines as merge fields.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The document status changes from Draft to Sent on the deal timeline.

Step 3: Send for Signature

Share the link, then track opens and collect the e-signature.

Pipedrive Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After three years of using Pipedrive daily, these are the tips that saved me the most time.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• Deal Rotting: Set idle-day limits per stage. Stale deals turn red so you can chase or kill them.
• Forecast View: Switch the pipeline view to group deals by expected close date and see the month ahead.
• Smart Contact Data: Pipedrive pulls public company details onto a contact, saving you a research task.
• Pipedrive Academy: Free crm training videos that introduce new staff faster than any live session.

Those crm training videos are cheaper than in-person training and your team can watch them anywhere.

Pipedrive Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Treating Every Lead as a Deal

Mistake #2: Skipping the Email Sync

Mistake #3: Building Reports Nobody Reads

Pipedrive Troubleshooting

Problem: Emails Are Not Syncing

Cause: The mail connection expired, or two-factor authentication changed on your provider.

Fix: Open account settings, disconnect the email account, then reconnect and re-authorise it.

Problem: Deals Show the Wrong Close Date

Cause: Expected close dates were left blank, so Forecast View has nothing to work with.

Fix: Filter for deals with no close date, then bulk edit that field from the list view.

Problem: Imported Contacts Created Duplicates

Cause: The import matched on name instead of email, so near-matches became new organizations.

Fix: Run the merge duplicates tool, then re-import matching on email only.

📌 Note: If none of these fix it, search the knowledge base or post in the Pipedrive community.

What is Pipedrive?

Pipedrive is CRM software designed to drive revenue for small and mid-sized sales teams.

Think of it like a whiteboard of sticky notes that never falls off the wall.

Every deal is a card, every stage is a column, and every card has a next action.

New users understand the layout in minutes, which is why adoption rarely stalls.

Watch this quick overview:

It includes these key features:

• Leads Management: Keep unqualified leads out of your sales pipeline until they are ready
• Manage Deals: Drag deals between stages and watch deal progress update instantly
• Projects Management: Track delivery work after the sale without leaving your CRM software
• Easy Campaigns: Send segmented broadcasts to contacts without a separate marketing tool
• Detailed Insights: Build custom reporting and forecast revenue from live pipeline data
• AI CRM: Get AI suggestions on which deals need attention today
• Email Marketing: Sync your mail, track opens, and reuse templates with placeholders
• Marketplace Integrations: Connect 500+ apps or build custom integrations with the REST API
• Documents & Templates: Send trackable quotes and contracts with e-signatures from the deal

For a full review, see our Pipedrive review.

Here is the interface you will be working in:

Pipedrive Pricing

Here is what Pipedrive costs in 2026:

Free trial: Yes — 14 days, no credit card required. There is no permanent free plan.

Money-back guarantee: No formal guarantee. You can cancel before the trial ends.

Add-ons such as Campaigns and LeadBooster are billed separately per company.

Here is the pricing page in detail:

💰 Best Value: Growth — it adds email tracking and automations without the Premium jump.

Pipedrive vs Alternatives

So how does Pipedrive compare? Here is the wider landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Pipedrive — the cleanest pipeline for teams that sell every day
• Best budget: Capsule CRM — simple contact management at a low monthly cost
• Best for beginners: HubSpot — a free tier and a huge knowledge base
• Best for enterprise: Salesforce — endless configuration and granular access control

🎯 Pipedrive Alternatives

Looking for Pipedrive alternatives? Here are the options worth a look:

• 🚀 GoHighLevel: All-in-one digital marketing platform for agencies, with funnels, calls, and CRM bundled together.
• 💰 Keap: Small business CRM software with built-in payments, quotes, and follow-up automations.
• 🎨 ActiveCampaign: Stronger email automation than Pipedrive, with deep segmentation across the customer journey.
• ⚡ HubSpot: Free CRM tier and a huge knowledge base, useful if marketing and sales share one system.
• 🔒 ClickFunnels: Funnel builder first, CRM second. Good for course sellers and offer-driven businesses.
• 🧠 Folk: Lightweight contact-first CRM that pulls in people from LinkedIn and your mail.
• 👶 Instantly: Cold outreach at scale, with inbox rotation and warm-up that Pipedrive does not match.
• 🏢 ClickUp: Tasks, docs, and a CRM view in one workspace for teams that live in project tools.
• 🔧 Monday CRM: Colourful boards and flexible columns, easier to customize for non-sales work.
• 🌟 Capsule CRM: Simple and cheap, with clean contact management for very small teams.
• ⭐ Insightly: CRM plus project delivery, aimed at companies that run long delivery projects.
• 🎯 Freshsales CRM: Built-in phone and chat, with a generous entry plan for growing sales teams.
• 💼 Salesforce: Enterprise standard with endless configuration, at a much higher price and setup cost.
• 📊 Zendesk: Support-led platform. Choose it when service tickets matter more than deals.

For the full list, see our Pipedrive alternatives guide.

⚔️ Pipedrive Compared

Here is how Pipedrive stacks up against each competitor:

• Pipedrive vs GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel bundles marketing and agency tools. Pipedrive wins on clean pipeline management and daily usability.
• Pipedrive vs Keap: Keap adds invoicing and payments. Pipedrive is faster to learn and cheaper per user.
• Pipedrive vs ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign wins on automations and email depth. Pipedrive wins on visual deal tracking.
• Pipedrive vs HubSpot: HubSpot has the free tier and marketing suite. Pipedrive stays cheaper once your team grows.
• Pipedrive vs ClickFunnels: ClickFunnels builds landing pages. Pipedrive manages what happens after the lead converts.
• Pipedrive vs Folk: Folk is lighter and prettier for networking. Pipedrive handles real sales process and reporting.
• Pipedrive vs Instantly: Instantly sends cold email at volume. Pipedrive manages the deals those replies create.
• Pipedrive vs ClickUp: ClickUp is a work platform with CRM bolted on. Pipedrive is a purpose-built CRM.
• Pipedrive vs Monday CRM: Monday CRM is more flexible for mixed workflows. Pipedrive is sharper for pure sales.
• Pipedrive vs Capsule CRM: Capsule is cheaper and simpler. Pipedrive gives you deeper insights and automations.
• Pipedrive vs Insightly: Insightly bundles project delivery. Pipedrive now covers that with Projects at a lower price.
• Pipedrive vs Freshsales CRM: Freshsales includes calling on lower tiers. Pipedrive has the better pipeline interface.
• Pipedrive vs Salesforce: Salesforce scales further for enterprise. Pipedrive gets a small team live in an afternoon.
• Pipedrive vs Zendesk: Zendesk owns support tickets. Pipedrive owns revenue and deal tracking.

Start Using Pipedrive Now

You now know how to use Pipedrive across every major feature:

• ✅ Leads Management
• ✅ Manage Deals
• ✅ Projects Management
• ✅ Easy Campaigns
• ✅ Detailed Insights
• ✅ AI CRM
• ✅ Email Marketing
• ✅ Marketplace Integrations
• ✅ Documents & Templates

Next step: Pick one feature and try it today.

Most people start with Manage Deals.

It takes less than five minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pipedrive and how does it work?

Pipedrive is CRM software built around a visual sales pipeline. You add deals, drag them between stages, and log one activity per deal so nothing goes quiet.

How to effectively use Pipedrive?

Customize your stages first, sync your email and calendar, then keep every open deal tied to a scheduled activity. Review your Insights dashboard weekly.

Is Pipedrive easy to use?

Yes. Most teams are running within an afternoon. The drag-and-drop pipeline needs no training, and Pipedrive Academy covers the rest with free video tutorials.

What can I do with Pipedrive?

Manage leads and deals, track email, run projects, send campaigns and documents, automate follow-up, and report on revenue across your whole sales team.

What is Pipedrive used for?

Sales teams use Pipedrive to track deal progress, organize contacts and organizations, automate admin tasks, and forecast revenue from live pipeline data.