Short answer: in the pipeline settings, add the properties you need as conditional stage properties for that stage and tick Required. HubSpot then asks for a value when someone moves a deal into the stage. It checks that a value exists, not that it is right, and it cannot require that a particular person signs off.
Reps move deals forward with empty fields, and the gaps show up later in forecasts and handovers. The usual fix is to make the fields mandatory at the stage where they matter, such as a close date and a decision maker before Proposal, or a contract start date before Closed won. Here is what HubSpot gives you, plan by plan.
Step 1: required properties at a stage
Go to Settings > Data Management > Objects > Deals, open the Pipelines tab, and open the stage you want to guard. Add the properties that should appear when a deal enters it, and tick Required on the ones that must be filled. HubSpot's wording: "If a property is required, users cannot create or update the record until they set a value for it" (HubSpot guide). You need the Edit property settings permission.
Things to know from the same article:
- Read-only properties, such as score or calculation properties, can't be used.
- The article does not name a plan for conditional stage properties, and it does not say what happens when a deal changes stage through an import, a workflow or the API. Test those paths in your own account before you rely on it.
- It also does not say how closed stages are treated. Test Closed won in your account.
- The properties appear when someone creates a record in the stage or moves a record to it by hand.
Pick fields that are easy to check at a glance: a date, a number, a dropdown with a clear answer. A free-text field is satisfied by a full stop.
Step 2: stop reps skipping the stage that asks for the fields
A required field at Proposal does nothing if the deal can jump from Qualified straight to Contract sent. On Professional or Enterprise the same pipeline settings have a Pipeline Rules tab (HubSpot guide). The relevant rules:
- Skipping stages: block skipping all stages, or only selected ones.
- Editing access: in selected stages, only Super Admins or chosen users and teams can edit the deal.
- Record creation: limit which stages new deals can start in.
Where the rules stop, according to that article: Super Admins and users with Edit property settings permission can bypass most rules, and so can records created or edited by workflows and, without a user ID, through the API. Skipping into Closed won or Closed lost is always allowed. While rules are on, nobody can bulk edit the pipeline or stage of the deals in it. Setting rules up needs Super Admin permissions. See how to stop reps skipping stages for more.
Step 3: add a second check with a workflow
On Professional or Enterprise, a deal-based workflow can enroll deals that sit in a stage while a required field is empty and notify the owner or create a task (HubSpot guide). That catches the paths a required property may not cover, such as imports. Workflows are not available on Starter or Free.
Where this stops
| Plan | Required fields at a stage | Stop skipping stages | A named person must sign off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Check the pipeline settings in your account (HubSpot's article names no plan) | No pipeline rules | No |
| Starter | As above | No pipeline rules | No |
| Professional | As above | Pipeline rules, with bypasses | Build it with a property and a workflow |
| Sales Hub Enterprise | As above | Pipeline rules | Pipeline approvals, which Super Admins cannot bypass (HubSpot guide) |
A required field proves someone typed something. It does not prove a manager looked at the deal. "Approved by" as a text or user field is filled in by the same rep who wants the deal to move. When the real requirement is that a different person says yes, the field is the wrong tool; see how to require approval before a deal moves stage.
Full disclosure: our app
Our app does not require fields. For that, use the HubSpot setting above; it is free of extra cost and does the job. We built Deal Approvals & Stage Gate for the case where a person must sign off. You pick the stage to guard, a condition (amount, discount, deal type, owner team or any deal property) and the approvers. If a deal is moved into the stage without approval, the app moves it back within a couple of seconds, adds a note and asks the approvers, who approve or reject from a card on the deal. Apps cannot block a change before HubSpot saves it, so the deal is in the stage for a moment first. It works on every HubSpot plan including Free; HubSpot's own pipeline approvals need Sales Hub Enterprise. The app has a free plan; Pro is USD 29 per month per HubSpot account, with a 14-day trial and no card. Marketplace listing.
Related: require approval before a deal moves stage, stop skipping stages or moving backward, approval options by plan.
FAQ
Can HubSpot make a property required when a deal moves to a stage? Yes. Add it as a conditional stage property for that stage in the pipeline settings and tick Required. HubSpot's article does not name a plan for it.
Does a required stage property apply to imports and workflows? HubSpot's article does not say. Test it in your account, and add a workflow check for those paths.
Can I require that a manager approves, not just that a field is filled? Not with a stage property. Use pipeline approvals on Sales Hub Enterprise, a workflow-based process on Professional, or an approval app.
Can pipeline rules force deals through every stage before Closed won? No. HubSpot always allows skipping into Closed won and Closed lost.
Questions or corrections: support@kayabyte.dev. HubSpot is a registered trademark of HubSpot, Inc. Kayabyte is an independent developer and is not affiliated with HubSpot.
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