Forecast categories versus opportunity stages
Key Takeaway
Each opportunity stage maps to a forecast category, so when an opportunity's stage changes, its forecast category and probability change with it.
An opportunity stage tracks where an opportunity sits in your sales process, such as Prospecting or Negotiation/Review. A forecast category groups opportunities by how likely they are to close, such as Pipeline, Best Case, Commit, or Closed. Because each stage maps to a forecast category, moving an opportunity to a new stage normally moves it to a new forecast category too.
Opportunity stages versus forecast categories
An opportunity's stage and its forecast category describe the same opportunity at two levels of detail:
| What it shows | How detailed it is | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opportunity stage | Where the opportunity sits in your sales process | The detailed steps reps work through | Prospecting, Negotiation/Review |
| Forecast category | How likely the opportunity is to close | Fewer, broader buckets that forecasts add up | Pipeline, Best Case, Commit, Closed |
A forecast category is the category within the sales cycle that an opportunity is assigned to, based on its stage. Forecasts total opportunity amounts by forecast category. On the opportunity, the Stage field holds the stage, and the Forecast Category field holds the forecast category.