If your team’s still manually doling out leads, you’re wasting time. Sales reps get frustrated, managers get bogged down, and hot opportunities cool off while you figure out who should call whom. If you’re using Pipedrive and want to set up automatic lead assignment — without losing your mind — this guide is for you. I’ll walk through the real options, what you can skip, and how to avoid the usual headaches.
Why Automate Lead Assignment? (And What to Ignore)
Let’s get something straight: automation won’t magically fix a broken sales process. But it will:
- Cut down on admin work
- Speed up response times (no more leads sitting in limbo)
- Give you a fairer, more transparent system for your sales reps
Here’s what it won’t do: give you “perfect” lead distribution, or eliminate all edge cases. Don’t get sucked in by tools promising AI-powered magic — at the end of the day, you need a system that fits your actual workflow.
Step 1: Get Clear On How You Want Leads Assigned
Before you touch a button in Pipedrive, answer two questions:
-
How do you want to split leads?
- Round robin (take turns)
- By territory or region
- By product expertise
- Based on workload or availability
-
What counts as a “new lead”?
- Just new contacts?
- New deals?
- Web form submissions?
Write this down. It’ll save you headaches later.
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate your rules. If you can’t explain your assignment logic in one sentence, it’s too much.
Step 2: Know What Pipedrive Can (and Can’t) Do Out of the Box
Pipedrive is solid, but it’s not built for advanced lead routing out of the box. Here’s what you get:
- Web Forms: You can set up a form and assign all submissions to a single owner (not dynamic).
- Leads Inbox & Assignment: You can manually assign leads, or use “default owner” settings, but there’s no built-in round-robin or territory assignment.
- Workflow Automation: Lets you trigger actions when leads or deals are created, like sending notifications or assigning to a specific user.
What’s missing: If you want real automation (like round robin or territory-based assignment), you’ll need to use third-party tools or integrations. Don’t waste time searching for a hidden setting — it’s not there.
Step 3: The Built-In Option — Workflow Automation for Simple Assignments
If your assignment rules are basic (e.g., all website leads go to one person or split by a single field), you can use Pipedrive’s Workflow Automation:
How To Set Up
- Go to Tools & Apps → Workflow Automation
- Create a New Workflow
- Trigger: “Lead created” or “Deal created”
- Condition (optional): e.g. “Lead source is Website”
- Action: “Update Lead owner” to assign to a specific user
This works fine if:
- You have a small team
- You don’t need to rotate between reps
- You only care about one or two assignment rules
Limitations: You can’t do real round robin, random, or load-balancing assignments with built-in automation. You have to pick a specific owner for each rule.
Step 4: Real Automation — Using Zapier or Make (Integromat)
If you want real automation — round robin, territory, or more complex logic — you’ll need an integration tool like Zapier or Make (formerly Integromat). Here’s how it works:
A. Choose Your Integration Tool
- Zapier: Easiest for non-technical users, decent for most assignment needs.
- Make: More power and flexibility, a bit more complexity.
B. Build Your Assignment Logic
Example: Round Robin Assignment with Zapier
- Trigger: New lead or deal in Pipedrive
- Set Up a “Rotation” System:
- Use Zapier’s built-in “Storage” feature to store which rep is next in line.
- Each time a new lead comes in, Zapier updates the value to the next rep.
- Assign the Lead:
- Use Zapier’s “Update Lead” or “Update Deal” action to set the owner based on the rotation.
Example: Assign by Territory
- Add a custom field in Pipedrive for “Region”
- In Zapier/Make, set up logic: IF region = X, assign to Rep A; IF region = Y, assign to Rep B, etc.
Things to watch out for:
- You’ll need a paid plan for multi-step workflows.
- If you have a big team or lots of rules, these automations can get messy. Keep it simple.
- Test thoroughly — misassigned leads are worse than manual assignment.
Pro tip: Document your automation logic somewhere everyone can find it. When something breaks (and it will), it’s easier to debug.
Step 5: Assigning Leads from Web Forms or External Sources
Most leads come in from web forms, chatbots, or other marketing tools. Here’s how to capture and assign them automatically:
- Pipedrive Web Forms: Assigns to one owner (unless you use an integration).
- Zapier/Make: Trigger on new submission, then run your assignment logic as above.
- Third-Party Tools (Typeform, Gravity Forms, etc.): Most connect to Zapier/Make, so you can automate assignment as part of the lead creation process.
Skip: Overly complex web form plugins that promise built-in assignment logic — you’ll just end up duplicating the same rules in multiple places. Keep your assignment in one system.
Step 6: Handling Special Cases (Vacations, Fairness, and Edge Cases)
Even the best automation won’t cover everything. Here’s how to handle tricky situations:
- Reps on Vacation: Keep a Google Sheet or simple toggle that your automation checks before assigning. Or, just remove them from the rotation in your integration tool.
- Uneven Workload: If someone’s overloaded, adjust your rules. Don’t try to automate everything — sometimes a quick manual tweak is faster.
- Missed or Ignored Leads: Set up reminders or escalations in Pipedrive’s Workflow Automation to catch leads that aren’t touched within X hours.
Step 7: Monitor, Adjust, and Don’t Over-Engineer
No matter how clever your setup, you’ll need to tweak it. Monitor:
- Are leads being assigned as expected?
- Are reps happy (or at least not complaining)?
- Is anyone getting overloaded or left out?
Keep your automation rules as simple as possible. The more complex they get, the more brittle and annoying they’ll be to maintain.
What About Pipedrive Marketplace Apps?
There are third-party apps in the Pipedrive Marketplace that claim to do advanced lead routing. Some are decent, some are overpriced, and a few are just wrappers around Zapier/Make logic. If your needs are truly unique, try one out — but start with Zapier or Make first unless you like vendor lock-in and surprise fees.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Automating lead assignment in Pipedrive isn’t rocket science, but it does take some upfront thinking and ongoing tweaks. Don’t get hung up on edge cases or try to automate every scenario right away. Start with the basics, see how it works, and adjust as you go. If you keep it simple and stick to tools your team actually understands, you’ll save time, close deals faster, and avoid turning a straightforward process into a never-ending science project.