Quote statuses
Overview
The status tells you where each quote stands in the sale. The counters on the quotes list are built from it, and it also decides whether the quote can still be edited. A person moves five of the statuses; the sixth, Expired, the system sets on its own every night.
Before you start
- Changing the status requires Manage Quotes (Super Admin and Admin by default).
- Accepting and creating the client also requires Win/Lose Quotes (only Super Admin by default).
- The Quotes module must be enabled in the warehouse.
The six statuses
| Status | Meaning | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Being built; the client has not seen it. | The system, on creation. |
| Sent | The client has the PDF or Excel. | A person, with the selector. |
| Negotiating | The client answered and prices or scope are being adjusted. | A person. |
| Won | The client accepted. | A person with the selector, or the Accept & create client button. |
| Lost | The client declined or chose someone else. | A person. |
| Expired | Its valid-until date passed without an answer. | The system every night (or a person, by hand). |
What you can do in each status
| Action | Draft, Sent, Negotiating | Won, not converted | Won and converted | Lost, Expired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit lines and rates | Yes | Only with the win permission | Only with the win permission (renegotiation) | No |
| Apply a template | Yes | No | No | No |
| Save as template | Yes | Only with the win permission | Only with the win permission | No |
| Edit Customer & terms | Yes | No | No | No |
| Change the status | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Download PDF or Excel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accept & create client | Yes | Yes | No (already exists) | Yes |
Change the status
- Open the quote in the editor.
- In the top bar, open the status selector (it shows the current status).
- Choose the new status. It saves instantly, no button: the page reloads with “Quote status updated”.
The system does not enforce an order: you can go from Draft to Won, or from Lost back to Negotiating. It only refuses the change on a converted quote. Picking the status it already has does nothing.
Automatic expiry
Every day at 3:00 a.m. (system time) a process looks for quotes:
- in Sent or Negotiating status,
- with Valid until filled in,
- whose valid-until date is already in the past (before today).
Each one moves to Expired with the note “Auto-expired (past valid-until date)” in the history, with no user name. Running it twice changes nothing: it only touches quotes still sent or negotiating.
- A Draft never expires on its own, even with a past date.
- A quote without “Valid until” never expires.
- The quote is still valid on its expiry date: it expires from the following night.
- Between the expiry date and the process run, the list shows a red clock next to the date.
The other overnight processes (storage and invoices) are in The overnight billing processes.
Won is not always converted
Setting Won with the selector only changes the label: it does not create the client. The client is created with the Accept & create client button, which marks Won and converts in one step. The green Converted badge next to the status tells you the client exists.
A Won quote that is not converted sits halfway: it can no longer be edited normally (only someone with the win permission can touch its lines) and its customer details and terms are locked. If you set it by mistake, move it back to Negotiating.
The status history
In the Customer & terms panel (click the company in the top bar), Status history lists, newest first: date and time, previous status → new status, and “by” whom. The first entry is “Quote created”. Automatic expiries appear with no person.
Example
A quote for Valley Distributors valid until October 15:
- October 1 — created (Draft).
- October 2 — Luis Pérez moves it to Sent.
- October 9 — moves to Negotiating.
- October 15 — nobody touches it; it stays Negotiating all day.
- October 16, 3:00 — the system moves it to Expired.
- October 20 — the client calls and accepts; Luis moves it back to Negotiating, fixes the valid-until date to the 31st and a Super Admin clicks Accept & create client.
Best practices
- Always set Valid until: without it, forgotten quotes stay “Sent” forever.
- Move to Sent the same day you send the PDF: expiry only runs from there.
- Use Won with the selector only if you are not creating the client yet; the normal path is the Accept & create client button.
- Before marking Lost, note the reason in the project description (afterwards it can no longer be edited).
Troubleshooting
The status selector is missing.
- The quote is already converted: its status is fixed.
“This quote was already converted to a client and is locked.”
- You tried to change the status of a converted quote. If prices need adjusting, renegotiate.
An overdue quote is still Sent.
- It expires today (it will expire tomorrow night), it has no valid-until date or the overnight process did not run. If it lasts several days, contact support.
A draft with a past date did not expire.
- That is by design: drafts do not expire on their own.
FAQ
Where do I record why it was lost?
The screen does not ask for a reason when you mark Lost. Write it in the project description before changing the status: once lost, Customer & terms can no longer be saved.
Can an expired quote be reopened?
Yes: pick Negotiating in the selector and update the valid-until date. If you don’t update it, it will expire again the following night.
Is anyone notified when the status changes?
No. No status change sends an email or a notification, to the client or to the team. The history is the record.
Need help?
If something did not work as expected, our support team can help you.
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