We design and implement multi-funnels in Bitrix24. One funnel for all sales types is a compromise that works only while the company is small.
As soon as wholesale shipments and retail orders, project sales and service contracts, direct clients and a partner channel appear, one funnel turns into a dump. Stages don't fit half the deals, analytics loses meaning, managers work haphazardly.
Multi-funnels are an architectural solution, not just another tab. Contact us to get a consultation for your situation.
Why is one funnel not enough?
Mixing different deal types in one funnel distorts conversion and average deal size. Long contracts with retail chains (90-day cycle) and fast HoReCa deals (3–7 days) in one funnel make analytics useless.
The manager sees normal conversion but doesn't understand where to direct efforts. Multi-funnels provide separate statistics for each pipeline.
Multi-funnel architecture
In Bitrix24, multi-funnels are implemented via the pipeline mechanism (crm_category). Each pipeline is a separate, spatially isolated set of stages.
- Pipelines are stored in the
b_crm_categorytable - Stages of each pipeline are in
b_crm_statuswithENTITY_ID = DEAL_STAGE_{categoryId} - A deal belongs to a specific pipeline via the
CATEGORY_IDfield inb_crm_deal
Important platform limitations:
- A deal can be moved between pipelines only via API (
crm.deal.updatewith a changedCATEGORY_ID) or a special interface — dragging is not possible. - Custom fields are created for the entire "Deal" entity; hiding them for one pipeline is possible only through role configuration.
- Automation (robots) is configured separately for each pipeline.
How to determine whether a multi-funnel is needed?
Multi-funnels are justified if:
- Different manager teams work with different client types — they need their own analytics.
- Sales cycles are fundamentally different: short-term (1–3 days) and long-term (3–12 months).
- Sets of required fields are different — some need company details, others only name and amount.
- Lead sources have incompatible qualification logic.
| Deal type | One funnel | Multi-funnel |
|---|---|---|
| Long contracts | Distort analytics | Clean statistics by pipeline |
| Fast orders | Get lost against large ones | Transparent conversion |
| Different teams | Shared reports | Personalized reporting |
Multi-funnels are not needed if the difference is covered by a custom "Type" field and a small variation of stages.
How are multi-funnels designed?
Step 1. Inventory of sales types. We record all deal types: who manages them, what the cycle is, how they differ.
Step 2. Separation criteria. If mixing types in one funnel would break something beyond visual convenience — a separate funnel is needed.
Step 3. Architecture of transition between funnels. Often a business process involves a deal transition: qualified lead → standard deal → service contract. We automate it via crm.deal.add in another pipeline when the current one is closed, or document the manual transfer.
Step 4. Common and specific fields. We create a matrix: common fields are created once, specific ones are hidden through role configurations.
Step 5. Separate automation. Robots and triggers are configured separately for each pipeline.
Case study from our practice
A wholesale distributor of household chemicals with three channels: retail chains, HoReCa, marketplaces. Initially one funnel with 6 stages.
After implementing multi-funnels, conversion by channel became transparent: retail chains — 18% from negotiations to contract, HoReCa — 42%. Conversion in HoReCa turned out to be 2.3 times higher, which allowed the manager to direct efforts precisely.
- "Retail chains" funnel: 8 stages, cycle 30–90 days.
- "HoReCa" funnel: 5 stages, cycle 3–14 days.
- "Marketplaces" funnel: 6 stages.
For each, we set up automation: for retail chains — creating a task for price approval, for HoReCa — a reminder 2 days after the quote.
Typical design mistakes
- Too many funnels. More than 6–8 pipelines is hard to manage. Some should be considered as smart processes.
- Funnels without owners. Each pipeline must have someone responsible for keeping stages and automation up to date.
- Reporting was forgotten. Standard reports aggregate data by pipeline, but custom slices will require development.
| Mistake | Consequence | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Too many funnels | Management difficulties | Limit to 5–6 pipelines, the rest — smart processes |
| No owner | Stage stagnation | Assign a responsible person |
| Ignoring reporting | Loss of analytics | Develop custom reports |
Custom fields are common to all pipelines; hiding them is possible only through role configurations. Transferring deals between pipelines is possible only via API. Automation is configured separately for each funnel.
What is included in the work
- Audit of current business processes and sales types.
- Architectural diagram of multi-funnels with justification for separation.
- Setup of stages, fields, and robots for each pipeline.
- Documentation for the transition process between funnels.
- Team training and testing.
- Post-project support for 1 month.
Timelines and cost
Designing 2–3 pipelines takes from 8 to 15 business days. Cost is calculated individually after analyzing your processes. Saving managers' time and operational costs allows the project to pay for itself within a few months. Get a consultation — we will evaluate the project and propose the optimal solution.
Contact us to design multi-funnels that will bring real value. The experience of certified specialists and proven methodologies guarantee quality. We will help optimize funnels for your business.
Read more about the sales funnel concept in general sources, and about the technical implementation of pipelines in the official Bitrix24 documentation.