In this guide
HubSpot’s Lead Status property tracks where sales work stands with a contact, inside the Sales Qualified Lead lifecycle stage. Its default values are New, Open, In Progress, Open Deal, Unqualified, Attempted to Contact, Connected and Bad Timing. Write one definition per value, the evidence that sets it and the next action, then let workflows and reports use those definitions.
This guide gives example definitions for each default value and shows how to keep Lead Status separate from lifecycle stage and deal stage. The definitions are examples to adapt to your sales process.
What is the HubSpot Lead Status property?
Lead Status is a default contact property. HubSpot’s lifecycle stage documentation describes it as the sub-stages within the Sales Qualified Lead stage, and notes that you can customize it and use it in workflows to automate lead tracking and reporting.
Three fields answer three different questions:
- Lifecycle stage: what the relationship with this contact or company is.
- Lead Status: where sales follow-up with this contact stands right now.
- Deal stage: where one specific opportunity is in its pipeline.
Portals that use HubSpot’s Leads object also have a lead label on each lead record. That is a separate property with its own settings, so decide which one your team reports on and document the choice.
What do the default Lead Status values mean?
HubSpot provides the values without definitions, so each team has to write its own. These examples give each value one entry condition and one next action.
| Value | Example definition | Evidence that sets it | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | Accepted by sales and waiting for first contact | Owner assigned at handoff | First contact attempt within the agreed time |
| Attempted to Contact | Outreach started, no reply yet | Logged call, email or LinkedIn message | Follow the agreed attempt sequence |
| Connected | Two-way conversation happened | Logged reply or call with an outcome | Qualify need, timing and authority |
| In Progress | Qualification under way | Notes from a discovery conversation | Decide on an opportunity or disqualify |
| Open Deal | An opportunity exists | Deal created and associated | Work the deal; deal stage takes over |
| Unqualified | Not a fit now | Documented reason from an agreed list | Stop sales follow-up; route to nurture if allowed |
| Bad Timing | A fit, with the wrong timing | Stated timing or a recorded constraint | Set a recheck date and owner |
| Open | Use only if your team defines a distinct meaning | Agreed by sales leadership | Otherwise hide or retire the value |
Two values are easy to confuse. Open and New often mean the same thing, so keep one. Open Deal duplicates deal stage once a deal exists, so treat it as a pointer to the deal and report progress from the deal pipeline.
How should Lead Status work with lifecycle stage?
Set Lead Status only on contacts sales has accepted, which in the default model means Sales Qualified Lead or later. A contact with a Lead Status of Connected but a lifecycle stage of Subscriber points to a handoff that skipped a step or a workflow writing the wrong field.
Decide what happens to Lead Status when the lifecycle stage changes. When a deal closes and the contact becomes a customer, you can clear Lead Status or leave it on Open Deal and report from the deal. Either works if it is written down and applied the same way. The lifecycle stages guide covers stage definitions and the automation that moves them.
Should you customize the Lead Status values?
Change the values when your sales process has a step the defaults do not describe, such as a meeting booked or a referral pending. Keep the list short enough that two reps would choose the same value for the same contact. Before renaming or removing a value, check the workflows, lists, reports and integrations that read it, and plan how existing records move to the new value.
HubSpot also lets admins set a default value that applies when a record is created. If you use one for Lead Status, make sure it only applies to contacts that reach sales; otherwise every newsletter subscriber starts as New.
How do you keep Lead Status accurate?
- One writer per transition. Decide whether reps, a workflow or a sales tool sets each value, and avoid two systems setting it under different rules.
- Time limits on working values. Report on contacts that have sat in New or Attempted to Contact longer than your follow-up policy allows.
- Required reasons. Pair Unqualified and Bad Timing with a reason property and, for Bad Timing, a recheck date.
- Monthly sample. Pick ten contacts per value and check that the evidence matches the definition.
These checks fit into a wider review of routing and ownership; the HubSpot lead routing audit shows how to test that each new lead reaches the right owner.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Lead Status and lifecycle stage in HubSpot?
Lifecycle stage describes the overall relationship, from subscriber to customer. Lead Status describes where sales follow-up stands for a contact that sales has accepted. HubSpot describes Lead Status as the sub-stages within Sales Qualified Lead.
Can you add custom Lead Status values?
Yes. Lead Status is a property you can edit. Check which workflows, lists and reports read a value before renaming or removing it, and move existing records to the new value.
Should a workflow set Lead Status automatically?
Workflows suit clear events, such as setting New when an owner accepts a handoff or Open Deal when a deal is associated. Values that depend on judgment, such as Unqualified or Bad Timing, usually need a rep to choose them with a reason.
For help defining stages, statuses and routing in your portal, see HubSpot development and RevOps.
Reviewed by Andrii Gorbenko, founder of AGI Technologies
