Creating a Pipeline

A pipeline in DarkLion is a reusable template — you create it once, configure its stages, and run new instances each year. Here's how to build one from scratch.

Step 1 — Create the Pipeline Template

1. Go to Pipelines in the sidebar.
2. Click + New Pipeline.
3. Fill in:
   • Name — e.g., "Business Tax Returns", "Individual Returns", "Bookkeeping Close."
   • Entity Type — Company, Person, or Relationship. This determines what kind of records go in this pipeline. You cannot mix types.
   • Description — Optional. Shows up in the pipeline list as a reminder of what this pipeline is for.
4. Click Create. The pipeline template is created with no stages yet.

Step 2 — Add Stages

1. After creation, the pipeline opens to its first instance. Click ⚙️ Settings in the board header.
2. In Settings, click + Add Stage.
3. Name the stage (e.g., "Awaiting Organizer"), pick a color, and save.
4. Repeat for each stage in your workflow.
5. Drag stages to reorder them — the board columns will update to match.

Marking the Terminal Stage

The terminal stage is the final "done" column. Cards in the terminal stage are archived nightly at 10 PM.

1. In Settings, find your final stage (e.g., "Filed & Delivered").
2. Click the 🏁 button on that stage to mark it as terminal.
3. Only one stage can be terminal per pipeline.

Step 3 — Create Year Instances

Each pipeline runs year-specific instances. When you first create a pipeline, an instance for the current year is created automatically. To add a new year:

1. On the kanban board, find the year selector in the board header.
2. Click it and select or type a different year.
3. A new instance is created automatically with the same stages as the template.

Copying Stages from Another Pipeline

Rather than rebuilding stages from scratch, you can copy them:

• In Settings → use the Copy Stages option to import stages from another pipeline template.
• Or clone an entire pipeline from the pipeline list: click the ⋯ menu next to any pipeline → Clone.

Managing Pipelines

From the pipeline list (⋯ menu on each pipeline):

• Archive — Hides the pipeline from the list. Data is preserved and can be restored. Use when a pipeline is no longer active but you want to keep the history.
• Delete — Permanently removes the pipeline template and all jobs in it. Cannot be undone.