> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firstwork.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Stages

> Define pipeline stages that track where candidates are in the hiring process

Stages represent the steps in your hiring pipeline. Every application moves through stages as it progresses — from initial submission through to approval, rejection, or hold.

***

## Stage Types

| Type               | Description                                                 |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Approved**       | System stage for successful applications                    |
| **Rejected**       | System stage for rejected applications                      |
| **On Hold**        | System stage for applications placed on a waiting list      |
| **Pending Review** | System stage for applications requiring manual admin review |
| **Manual**         | Custom stages you create to model your own pipeline steps   |
| **Completed**      | System stage used only in module-type hiring flows          |

> \[!NOTE]
> System stages (Approved, Rejected, On Hold, Pending Review) are created automatically when a hiring flow is set up. Only manual stages can be deleted.

***

## Creating a Stage

1. Open your hiring flow and navigate to the **Stages** section
2. Click **Add Stage**
3. Enter a **stage name** and optionally choose an **icon**

Each stage automatically gets a corresponding page in the form — this is the content candidates see when they land in that stage.

***

## Stage Reasons

Each stage can have one or more **reasons** that explain why a candidate was moved there. Reasons control what the candidate sees and what notifications are sent.

| Setting                   | Description                                                                  |
| ------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**                  | Internal identifier for the reason                                           |
| **Page title**            | Title displayed to the candidate on the stage page                           |
| **Description**           | Rich text content shown to the candidate                                     |
| **Require manual review** | Creates a review task for an admin when a candidate enters this reason       |
| **Notifications**         | Email or SMS messages sent automatically when a candidate enters this reason |

***

## Notifications

Each stage reason can trigger automated notifications:

| Option        | Description                                                                                            |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Type**      | Email or SMS                                                                                           |
| **Recipient** | Send to the applicant, or to a specific email/phone number                                             |
| **CC / BCC**  | Additional recipients (email only)                                                                     |
| **Delay**     | Send immediately or after a configurable delay (in minutes)                                            |
| **Template**  | Use a pre-configured email or SMS template with [dynamic variables](/knowledge-base/dynamic-variables) |

***

## Call-to-Action Buttons

Stage pages can include buttons that let candidates take action:

| Action                     | Description                                     |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **External link**          | Navigate to an external URL                     |
| **Move to stage**          | Transition the application to another stage     |
| **Move to previous stage** | Return to the prior stage                       |
| **Trigger automation**     | Execute an automation workflow                  |
| **Reset**                  | Reset the application context for a custom link |

***

## Stage Transitions

Every time an application moves between stages, a **transition record** is created that tracks:

* The previous stage and the new stage
* Entry and exit timestamps
* Time spent in each stage

This data is available in the application's stage history and can be used for reporting and analytics.

***

## Default Pipeline

When you create a **standard** hiring flow, four system stages are seeded automatically:

1. **Pending Review** — with a default manual review reason
2. **Approved**
3. **Rejected**
4. **On Hold**

A default decision rule routes candidates to the Pending Review stage after form completion. You can customize this by adding your own manual stages and updating decision rules.

**Module** hiring flows receive only a **Completed** stage.