Workflow Action: Create Opportunity in Sparkforge

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

The Create Opportunity workflow action drops a new opportunity into the pipeline and stage you specify, with full control over name, source, value, and whether duplicates are allowed for the same contact.

The Create Opportunity workflow action adds a new opportunity to a pipeline whenever the workflow conditions match. It's the standard way to automate lead-to-opportunity creation when forms, calls, or other triggers fire.

Action settings

Field	Description	Required
Action Name	Label for the workflow step.	Yes
Pipeline	Pipeline that receives the new opportunity (Projects, Sales, etc.).	Yes
Pipeline Stage	Stage to drop into. Defaults to the first stage if blank.	No
Opportunity Name	Name of the new opportunity. Defaults to the contact name. Supports variables like `{{contact.first_name}}`.	No
Opportunity Source	Where the opportunity came from (Website, Referral, Event). Empty by default.	No
Status	Open, New, Pending, etc. Defaults to Open.	No
Duplicate Opportunity	Allow or block creating another opportunity for the same contact.	—
Opportunity Value	Numeric value. Defaults to 0.	No
Ownership Settings	Owner can default to the contact owner or stay unassigned, depending on system settings.	No
Custom Fields	Any extra opportunity fields. Most accept custom values and tokens.	No

For date fields you can pass Right Now to write the current timestamp into the new opportunity.

Edge cases

Missing contact name fields: If the contact has no first or last name, the system uses any available identifier (typically email) for the Opportunity Name.
No contact in the workflow: If there's no contact attached — for example, an inbound webhook with no contact data — the action can't create an opportunity. Use a webhook that includes contact data or trigger from a contact-aware action.
Duplicate detection: Duplicate logic checks contact ID, not opportunity name. With duplicates disabled, a contact who triggers the workflow twice still only ends up with one opportunity.

Example: project inquiry intake

Trigger: Contact submits a Project Inquiry form on the website.

Action: Create Opportunity

Action Name: Create Opportunity
Pipeline: Projects
Pipeline Stage: New Lead
Opportunity Name: {{contact.first_name}} - Project Inquiry
Opportunity Source: Website
Status: Open
Opportunity Value: 0
Duplicate Opportunity: Enabled (the same contact can submit multiple inquiries)

Each form submission creates a fresh opportunity in the Projects pipeline at the New Lead stage. If duplicates were disabled, the second submission would be skipped.

When to allow duplicates

Allow duplicates when each event represents a genuinely separate opportunity — a project inquiry, a quote request, an event registration. Block duplicates when you want one record per contact and updates handled by Update Opportunity instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the Pipeline Stage is left blank?

The opportunity drops into the first stage of the pipeline you selected. Set the stage explicitly when you need new opportunities to land somewhere other than the entry stage.

How does Sparkforge detect duplicate opportunities?

Duplicate detection runs on contact ID, not opportunity name. If duplicates are disabled and the same contact triggers the workflow twice, only the first opportunity is created.

Can I use variables in the Opportunity Name?

Yes. Use tokens like {{contact.first_name}} or any custom field value. If you leave the name blank, it defaults to the contact's name when available.

What if the contact has no name fields populated?

Sparkforge falls back to any available identifier — most often the contact email — for the Opportunity Name so the record still gets created with a usable label.

When should I block duplicates?

Block duplicates when you want one opportunity per contact and any subsequent triggers should update that record instead. Allow duplicates when each event — a new inquiry, quote, or registration — is genuinely a separate deal.