If you’re using Pipedrive to wrangle sales or keep projects moving, you already know activities are the backbone. But what about stuff that happens every week, month, or quarter—like pipeline reviews or follow-up calls? Setting up recurring activities seems obvious, but it’s not as straightforward as you’d hope in Pipedrive. If you’re scratching your head or frustrated by how much manual clicking is involved, you’re in the right place.
This guide is for the folks who want their sales process to run smoother, without getting lost in the weeds—or paying for a bunch of extra tools. Here’s how to actually create and manage recurring activities in Pipedrive without losing your mind.
What You Can (and Can’t) Do with Recurring Activities in Pipedrive
Let’s get the facts out of the way: Pipedrive (link here) does not have a built-in, first-class “recurring activities” feature as of 2024. There’s no magic button that says “repeat this activity every Monday.”
Here’s what is possible:
- Manual Recurring Activities: You can clone an activity and set it for a new date. It’s not elegant, but it works.
- Workflow Automations: With the right plan (Advanced and up), you can use Pipedrive’s Automations to create recurring tasks—sort of. It takes a bit of setup and isn’t as flexible as, say, Google Calendar.
- Third-Party Integrations: Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), and a few other tools let you set up recurring activities, but that means more moving parts and potential costs.
What doesn’t work:
- No native “repeat every X days/weeks” option when creating an activity.
- No way to bulk-edit or reschedule a whole series of recurring activities at once.
So, you’re dealing with workarounds. But they’re doable—here’s how.
Step 1: Decide What You Really Need
Before you start fiddling with automations or integrations, get clear on your actual workflow. Ask yourself:
- Do you need a true recurring activity, or just a reminder to schedule the next one?
- Is this for you, or a team? (Automations can only assign activities to whoever triggers them, unless you set up more complex logic.)
- How often does it need to recur? (Daily, weekly, monthly?)
- Do you need to attach them to Deals, Contacts, or Organizations?
If you just need a nudge, a simple activity with a reminder might do. If you need a series—read on.
Step 2: The Manual Way (Easy, But Tedious)
If you don’t want to mess with automations or outside tools, here’s the old-school way:
- Create your activity: Add a call, meeting, or task as normal.
- Clone it: Once saved, open the activity, click the three dots (more options), and hit “Duplicate.” Change the date to the next occurrence.
- Repeat as needed: Yes, it’s repetitive. But for monthly or quarterly tasks, it’s not the end of the world.
Pro tip: In the activity subject, add something like “Monthly” or “Weekly” so it’s easy to search and report on.
What’s good: It’s simple, free, and works for one-offs or small teams.
What’s bad: You have to remember to do it. Miss one and the chain breaks. Not practical for lots of activities.
Step 3: Automate Recurring Activities with Pipedrive’s Workflow Automations
If you’ve got the Advanced plan or higher, Workflow Automations can help. It’s a bit clunky, but once set up, it saves time.
Here’s how to set up a basic recurring activity automation:
- Go to Tools and Apps > Workflow Automations.
- Click “+ New Automation.”
- Set the Trigger: Here’s the catch: Pipedrive doesn’t trigger based on dates. The usual workaround is to trigger when an activity is marked as “Done.”
- For example: “When an Activity is marked as Done, create a new Activity.”
- Add Action: Choose “Create Activity.” Set the type, subject, owner, and due date offset (e.g., 7 days from now).
- Test it: Mark an activity as Done. The automation should kick in and create the next one.
Caveats and workarounds:
- You have to complete (mark as Done) the activity to trigger the next one.
- You can’t set up a true, fixed schedule (“every Monday at 10am”)—just a recurring chain based on completion.
- You can’t edit or reschedule the whole series at once. Each new activity is its own item.
When this works: For follow-ups, routine check-ins, or anything that happens “after I finish the last one.”
When this doesn’t: For calendar-based recurring events (e.g., “First Monday of every month,” regardless of when you last finished).
Step 4: Go Further with Third-Party Integrations
If you need true calendar-style recurring activities—think “every Tuesday at 9am, no matter what”—Pipedrive alone won’t cut it. Here’s how to fill the gap:
Option 1: Use Zapier
- Sign up for Zapier (free for basic use, paid for more).
- Create a new Zap: Trigger = Schedule (e.g., every Monday at 9am).
- Action = Create Activity in Pipedrive: Choose activity type, subject, owner, and related deal/person/org.
- Test and activate.
Pros: Set it and forget it. Works for teams.
Cons: Another subscription. More moving parts to break. Zapier’s free plan is limited.
Option 2: Sync with Google Calendar
- If you’ve connected your Google Calendar to Pipedrive, recurring events show up in your Pipedrive calendar view—but they aren’t actual Pipedrive activities. You can’t report on them or trigger automations.
- This is fine if you just need reminders, but don’t expect real integration.
Option 3: Use Make (Integromat), Outfunnel, or Other Tools
- Similar to Zapier, but sometimes cheaper or with different triggers.
- The catch is always: more complexity, another tool to wrangle.
What to ignore: Any Chrome extension or hack that promises “real recurring activities” inside Pipedrive—they usually just automate the manual process, and can be brittle.
Step 5: Managing and Reporting on Recurring Activities
Once your recurring activities are being created (however you’re doing it), managing them is the same as any other activity in Pipedrive. Here’s how to keep things tidy:
- Use clear naming: Always add a keyword like “Weekly Check-In” to the subject. It makes searching and filtering easier.
- Custom fields: If you want to tag recurring vs. one-off activities, set up a custom field.
- Bulk actions: You can bulk-complete or bulk-delete activities, but only by selecting them one by one in list view.
- Reporting: Use filters to show only recurring activities if you need to see patterns or volume.
Pro tip: Every few months, review your recurring activities. Are they still useful, or just creating noise? Kill off the ones that aren’t helping.
What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)
Works well: - Simple chains using the automation trigger “activity marked as done.” - Low-frequency recurring tasks you can duplicate manually. - Using Zapier or Make if you’re already paying for them and don’t mind a little setup.
Doesn’t work well: - Trying to set up a “series” you can edit or reschedule in one go (not possible). - Relying on Google Calendar sync for real Pipedrive activities. - Expecting Pipedrive to handle every edge case—sometimes, you’re just better off with a spreadsheet.
Summary: Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Grow
Recurring activities in Pipedrive aren’t as plug-and-play as you might want, but you can make it work with a mix of manual steps, automations, or integrations. Don’t overcomplicate it—start small, see what you actually need, and add tools only if the headache is worth the time saved.
If you’re spending more time fiddling with automations than actually doing your work, that’s a sign to simplify. The goal is less busywork—not just a fancier to-do list.