---
sourceDocument: Australia Sales Customer Relationship Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/order-management

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Sales Customer Relationship Management

ft:clusterId :

    - omgmt

bundleId :

    - omgmt

workflow :

    - Customer and Industry


---

# Stages

# Quote transaction stages {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated May 7, 2026  
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## Summary of Quote transaction stages

Quote transaction stages in ServiceNow CPQ represent distinct phases in the quoting process, such as Draft, Pending Approval, Approved, Contracted, and Ordered.
These stages structure the transaction lifecycle, allowing administrators to customize the selling process by adding, removing, or reordering stages.
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## Stage Ordering and Transitions

Administrators can reorder stages using controls in the stages list and insert new stages at specific positions. Transitions between stages occur only when explicitly triggered by events (e.g., Submit for Approval). Transitions can also be set for when transactions are created or edited.

## Entry Criteria

Each stage can have entry criteria that must be met for a transaction to advance. When moving forward, ServiceNow CPQ evaluates the entry criteria of subsequent stages until one is satisfied. Moving backward does not check entry criteria. The first stage does not have entry criteria, allowing transactions to bypass certain stages if conditions are met.

## Rule Groupings and Views

Stages are associated with rule groupings that execute upon entering the stage and during user interactions. These rule groupings enable tailored behavior and validations. Additionally, stages allow distinct views and permissions for different user personas, controlling how field data is presented and interacted with.

## Behavior Settings

* **Behavior on Open Transaction:** Defines which rule groupings and integrations run when a transaction in that stage is opened. Administrators can configure product data refresh and specify actions to trigger on open.
* **Behavior on Idle Timeout:** Specifies an event triggered after a period of user inactivity. Only one event per stage is allowed, with supported actions including rule groups and integrations. Careful configuration and testing are recommended to balance usability and system efficiency.

## Deleting Stages

Deleting a stage is restricted to prevent data issues if transactions are using it. Contact ServiceNow Support for assistance with stage deletion.

## Creating Quote Transaction Stages

Administrators can create new stages via the Quote Experience administration interface to define quoting phases, set entry criteria, and configure behavior on transaction open and idle timeout events.  
Stages represent phases in the quoting process. Each stage can have entry criteria, rule group associations, and stage-specific layout behavior in ServiceNow CPQ.

Stages structure the quoting process into discrete phases. A typical implementation uses stages such as Draft, Pending Approval, Approved, Contracted, and Ordered, but administrators can add or remove stages to match their
organization's selling process. A transaction is in one stage at a time.

## Stage ordering {#quote-tm-stages__stage-ordering}

Administrators can change the order in which stages are evaluated. In the stages list, select a stage and select the chevron icon to access reordering controls. Use the \< and \>
buttons to move the stage in the sequence. The + button creates a new stage at the selected position in the sequence.

## Transitions between stages {#quote-tm-stages__stage-transitions}

Transitions represent structured movement from one stage to the next. A transaction cannot automatically transition between stages without an event --- such as a Submit for Approval or
Revise button --- that explicitly triggers the transition. Stage transitions can also be defined for when a new transaction is created or edited.

## Entry criteria {#quote-tm-stages__entry-criteria}

Entry criteria are conditions that must be met before a transaction can advance to a stage. When an event transition is set to forward, ServiceNow CPQ evaluates the entry criteria of each succeeding stage until a stage's criteria are met. If no stage meets the criteria, no transition occurs. When an event transition is set to
backward, the transaction moves to the stage defined by the administrator without checking entry criteria. The first stage in a process has no entry criteria.

For example, a transaction might transition to the pending approval stage, or, if approval is not required, it might bypass pending approval and move directly to the
approved stage. This is configured using entry criteria on the pending approval stage.

## Stages and rule groupings {#quote-tm-stages__stages-rule-groupings}

Rule groupings are associated with stages. They execute when the stage is transitioned to and when users update fields or run events while in the stage. For more information about rule groupings, see [Quote transaction rules and rule groupings](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/pkf_5~c8DjDc4igYF0ngxg "Rules in ServiceNow Quote Experience evaluate conditions and perform actions on quote fields and layouts. Rule groupings bundle rules together to run at stages and events in ServiceNow CPQ.").

## Stages and views {#quote-tm-stages__stages-views}

Stages enable administrators to assign distinct permissions to determine how personas view and interact with field data at each stage. For more information about defining views for stages, see [Quote transaction views](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/u0c2uatWkGDHK9KjK2a0nA "Views control how users with specific personas can view and modify fields and events at each stage of a quote in ServiceNow CPQ.").

## Behavior on open transaction {#quote-tm-stages__behavior-on-open}

The Behavior on Open Transaction stage setting determines which rule groupings and integrations run when a user opens a transaction in that stage. Administrators can configure the Refresh Product Data toggle to refresh product data when the transaction opens, and can add one or more rule groupings or integrations to run on open.

## Behavior on idle timeout {#quote-tm-stages__behavior-on-idle}

The Behavior on Idle Timeout stage setting defines an event that triggers after a user remains inactive for a specified period. Administrators can define one such event per stage. If the event fails on
its first execution, it is not retried or requeued. Supported action types are rule groups and integrations.

Note the following guidelines when configuring idle timeout behavior:

* Set the idle time carefully to balance user convenience with session management and system efficiency.
* Test all configured rule groups and integrations in a nonproduction environment before enabling them in live stages.
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## Deleting a stage {#quote-tm-stages__deleting-stages}

Deleting a stage is restricted because deleting a stage that is in use by transactions can cause data issues. Contact [ServiceNow Support](https://support.servicenow.com) if a stage deletion is required.
* **[Create a quote transaction stage](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/WQJvpNPP6BasEAvCAejw7w)**   
  Create a stage in the ServiceNow Quote Experience administration interface to define a phase in the quoting process, set entry criteria, and configure what happens when a user opens a transaction or remains inactive in that stage.