Salesforce Lead Status is the standard picklist on the Lead object that shows where each lead stands in follow-up, from new to converted or disqualified. The default values are Open, Contacted, Qualified and Unqualified, and admins can change them. At least one value must be marked Converted for leads to be converted, and Path on the lead record lets reps move a lead from status to status with guidance at each step.
This guide was first published in 2021 as "Salesforce Lead Status Best Practices". It has been rewritten for 2026 with current setup steps, a recommended status set, conversion troubleshooting and status history reporting.
What is lead status in Salesforce?
Lead Status is a standard picklist that records how far follow-up on a lead has gone. A lead is a person or company that might buy but hasn't been qualified yet. Lead Status tells everyone what has happened to that lead so far: nobody has called, a rep is working it, it qualified and was converted, or it was disqualified. Sales managers use it to see untouched leads, marketing uses it to see what happened to the leads it sent, and automation uses it to route and remind.
When a lead qualifies, it is converted. Trailhead's leads unit explains that conversion uses the lead's data to create an account, a contact and an opportunity, or a person account and an opportunity where person accounts are on and the lead has no company. You can also attach the lead to an existing account or contact. Our guide to opportunities in Salesforce covers what happens next.
Lead status vs lead stage
Lead status describes the sales follow-up on one lead record: new, working, qualified, disqualified. A lead or lifecycle stage, often used by marketing, describes the buyer's overall journey, such as subscriber, marketing-qualified or sales-qualified, and usually lives in a separate field or in the marketing tool. Keep them separate: status is for reps to work the queue, stage is for funnel reporting. Mixing them in one picklist is a common reason status lists grow to a dozen values.
What are the default lead status values?
Salesforce Help's default picklist values article lists four:
| Default value | Usual meaning |
|---|---|
| Open | New lead, not yet contacted |
| Contacted | A rep has reached out and is working the lead |
| Qualified | Meets your criteria; ready to convert |
| Unqualified | Not a fit, or not now |
You will often see other labels, such as Open - Not Contacted and Working - Contacted, which Trailhead uses in its examples. The values are yours to change, so define them around your own process.
How to set up lead status values
You edit Lead Status in Object Manager and mark at least one value as Converted.
- In Setup, open the Object Manager, choose Lead, then Fields & Relationships, and open Lead Status.
- Add, rename, reorder or deactivate values. Deactivate rather than delete values that existing records use, so reports keep their history.
- Edit each value that means the lead qualified and select Converted. Salesforce Help notes that several values can be converted values, and that the default value cannot be marked Converted (converted status article).
- Set a sensible default, normally your "new" status, for leads created without a status.
- If you use lead record types, go to Setup → Lead Processes and choose which values each lead process shows, then assign the process to the record type.
A recommended lead status set
Four to six values work for most teams; ours are New, Working, Nurturing, Qualified and Disqualified. Four to six values work for most teams. Fewer statuses mean reps use them consistently. This is the set we recommend as a starting point; it is our advice, not a Salesforce default.
| Status | Meaning | Converted? | Typical automation |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | Not yet contacted | No | Assignment rules route it; alert if untouched after a set time |
| Working | Rep is actively reaching out | No | Follow-up tasks or a sales cadence |
| Nurturing | Interested but not ready | No | Return to marketing; re-alert on new engagement |
| Qualified | Meets your qualification criteria | Yes | Convert to account, contact and opportunity |
| Disqualified | Not a fit | No | Require a disqualification reason |
Pair Disqualified with a required reason field, such as no budget, wrong market, competitor or duplicate. A status says where a lead is; a reason says why, and reasons are what marketing needs to improve targeting. Build the automation in Salesforce Flow.
Using Path and Kanban with lead status
Path and Kanban turn Lead Status into visual steps and columns; an admin must enable Path, and Kanban is available to all users. Path shows the lead's status as steps across the top of the record. Trailhead's Path and Kanban unit explains that reps click the step they are moving to, then Mark Current Status. Each step can show Key Fields, the information reps need most at that point, and Guidance for Success, short tips for the step. Use them to show qualification questions under Working and required fields before Qualified.
Kanban is available for most objects, including leads, so a list view can show lead cards in columns that reps drag between, which suits teams that work leads in daily queues.
If a status value is missing from Path or the Kanban columns, check the lead process assigned to that record type: only the values the process includes are offered. Inactive values also disappear.
Why can't a lead be converted?
Most conversion failures come from a missing Converted value, record type settings or a rule on the new records.
- No converted value. If no Lead Status value has the Converted checkbox, or the user doesn't pick one, the lead can't be converted (Salesforce Help).
- Record type mismatch. With lead record types, the conversion dialog takes status values from the default lead record type on the converting user's profile, not from the lead's own record type or lead process. Make sure that process includes a converted value. Separately, Salesforce Help's account record type article says the new account gets the default record type of the record owner's profile, and a "Record type unavailable" error usually means the converting user's profile lacks access to, or defaults to Master for, the account, contact, opportunity or task record types. Our record types guide explains those settings.
- Required fields or validation rules. The new account, contact or opportunity must pass their own rules; check the error message for the object that failed.
- Permissions. The user needs rights to create the account, contact and opportunity as well as to edit the lead.
Reporting on lead status and its history
Group a lead report by status for today's queue, and turn on field history to measure how leads move. A report on leads grouped by status, with filters for owner and created date, shows the queue at a glance. For conversion rates and time-in-status, you need history. Turn on field history tracking for the Lead object and select Lead Status; as of November 2026 Salesforce allows up to 20 tracked fields per object and, without Field Audit Trail, keeps history for up to 18 months in the user interface and 24 months through the API, so export or summarise it if you need multi-year trends. Our guide to creating reports in Salesforce covers report types, and Techila's Lead Status History app tracks lead status changes and progression inside Salesforce.
Lead status mistakes to avoid
Keep the list short, keep reasons separate, and close old leads.
- Too many values. Ten statuses become ten interpretations. Keep the list short and document what each means.
- Using status for reasons. "Disqualified - No budget" as a status multiplies values; use a separate reason field.
- Leads that never close. Agree a rule for how long a lead can stay in Working before it moves to Nurturing or Disqualified.
- Changing values without telling marketing. Integrations, scoring and reports often depend on exact status values.
- Duplicate leads. The same person arriving twice splits their status history; set up duplicate rules, and see how to merge records for clean-up.
Getting help
Techila is a Salesforce Summit Partner. Our Sales Cloud team designs lead processes, statuses, routing and reporting, and our Lead Status History app tracks how leads move between statuses. Talk to us about your lead process.
Frequently asked questions
What are the default lead status values in Salesforce?
Salesforce Help lists Open, Contacted, Qualified and Unqualified as the default Lead Status values. Many orgs, and Salesforce's own training examples, use variants such as Open - Not Contacted and Working - Contacted. Admins can change the values to suit their sales process.
How do you mark a lead status as converted?
In Setup, open the Lead Status field on the Lead object, edit the value and select the Converted checkbox. Only values marked Converted appear in the conversion dialog, and the default Lead Status value cannot be marked as Converted.
Why can't I convert a lead in Salesforce?
A common cause is that no Lead Status value is marked Converted, or the converted value isn't in the lead process for the record type the converting user gets by default. Salesforce takes conversion values from the default lead record type on the converting user's profile, not from the lead's own record type.
What is the difference between lead status and lead stage?
In Salesforce, Lead Status is the standard field that tracks where a lead stands in sales follow-up until conversion. Lead stage or lifecycle stage is usually a marketing concept, often a custom field, that tracks a person's journey from subscriber to customer across leads and contacts.
How can I track lead status history in Salesforce?
Turn on field history tracking for the Lead object and select Lead Status. Salesforce then records each change, which you can report on. Standard history tracking allows up to 20 fields per object and keeps history for a limited time, so plan longer-term reporting if you need it.