States in a Blueprint are built on top of an existing picklist field on the module. Each value in that picklist corresponds to a state in the Blueprint. When you design the Blueprint, you drag states onto the canvas, connect them with Transitions, and configure rules for each connection.
Every Blueprint has a Start State (the initial state when Blueprint becomes active on a record) and one or more End States (terminal states from which no further transitions are available – such as “Closed Won” or “Closed Lost”).
At the state level, you can configure who is allowed to work on records in that state (owner-only vs any team member), set SLA timers that start counting when a record enters the state, and define which Transitions are available from that state.
A Blueprint State is a stage in a Blueprint process that a record occupies at any given time. It is built on top of a picklist field value on the CRM module. Records move between states by completing Blueprint Transitions. Each state can have its own SLA timers, user restrictions, and available transitions.
Zoho CRM does not publish a hard limit on the number of states per Blueprint, but practical Blueprints typically have 5 to 15 states. Complex processes with many stages are often better handled by combining Blueprint with sub-blueprints or the CommandCenter feature.
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