Understanding how your data fits together in Pipeline CRM makes everything else — search, reporting, automations — easier to use well. This article covers the core building blocks: records, fields, and list views.
The Three Core Record Types
Every piece of data in Pipeline CRM lives on one of three connected record types:
- Companies — The organizations you do business with. A Company record aggregates every Deal and Person connected to it, giving you one place to see the whole relationship. On Develop and Grow plans, Companies also unlock post-sale Customer Management features for strengthening and tracking the relationship after the deal is won.
- People — Your contacts: leads, customers, and other business relationships. People are associated with Companies and Deals, and every email, call, and note tied to them lives on their profile.
- Deals — Your revenue-generating opportunities. Each Deal is linked to a primary Company (and usually one or more People) and moves through the stages of a Pipeline as it progresses.
Fields: What You Track on Each Record
Every record type ships with a set of built-in (system) fields — things like Name, Email, Phone, Owner, and Created At. See View Default System Fields for Companies, People, and Deals for the full reference table.
Need to track something Pipeline CRM doesn't cover out of the box? Custom fields let you add exactly the data your business needs to any record type. Admins create and manage these from Settings > Data Entry > Custom Fields.
Records: Individual Entries
A "record" is a single instance of a Company, Person, or Deal — one specific business, one specific contact, one specific opportunity. Each record has its own profile page showing its fields, related records, files, and full activity history.
List Views: Organizing and Filtering Your Records
List Views are how you slice your records down to what matters — a saved combination of filters, sorting, and visible columns for Companies, People, or Deals. Save a view so your team can come back to it instantly, or star it to pin it to your Dashboard.
How It All Connects
Companies, People, and Deals reference each other directly, so from any one record you can see everything related to it:
- A Company shows its People and Deals
- A Person shows their Company and any Deals they're tied to
- A Deal shows its Company and People.
- Activities, Tasks, and Events attach to any of the three, building a complete history wherever you look.
Next Steps
Ready to start adding your own records? See Add Companies, Deals, and People for the practical walkthrough.
Need help? Contact support at customercare@pipelinecrm.com.