--- title: "Process Stages" slug: "custom-defined-waypoints" updated: 2025-09-12T15:00:47Z published: 2025-09-12T15:00:47Z canonical: "docs.processmaker.com/custom-defined-waypoints" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.processmaker.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Process Stages The **Process Stages** feature allows designers to organize a process into clear, manageable stages. These stages are visually represented as a progress bar in the Case List throughout the lifecycle of a Case, giving participants full visibility into task progression and process completion. This feature is useful for tracking processes by showing exactly how far along a process is within its stages. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/2d311614-fcb7-4424-8b4c-d4d3091eebeb/Images/Documentation/image-1757535525905.png) #### Key Benefits - **Visual Clarity:** Participants can immediately see the current stage and overall progress of a process. - **Improved Task Management:** Clear breakdowns help allocate time and resources efficiently. - **Enhanced Productivity:** Reduces the need for manual tracking or status clarification. #### Use Cases - Displaying stage-based processes in HR onboarding, admissions, or approval chains. - Providing transparency to participants about what’s next in the workflow. - Supporting internal tracking in complex processes like procurement or multi-department reviews. --- ### Configure Stages in the Modeler Follow these steps to create stages for a process in the Process Modeler. 1. [Create a new process](/summer-2024/A7mdugENW7gZw1jmnrOv/designer-basics/create-a-process) or [open an existing one](/summer-2024/A7mdugENW7gZw1jmnrOv/designer-basics/view-the-list-of-processes/view-your-processes#edit-an-existing-process). 2. Click on a [Sequence Flow](/v1/docs/sequence-flow-element) object to select it. 3. Click the **Show Configuration** icon ![](https://cdn.document360.io/2d311614-fcb7-4424-8b4c-d4d3091eebeb/Images/Documentation/bab12168-9272-40aa-ba82-b1df248d97e6.png) in the upper right of the Modeler. 4. Expand the **Stages** panel to view stages (if any) configured in the process. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/2d311614-fcb7-4424-8b4c-d4d3091eebeb/Images/Documentation/image-1757535613127.png) 5. Click ![](https://cdn.document360.io/2d311614-fcb7-4424-8b4c-d4d3091eebeb/Images/Documentation/Add Icon.png) to add a stage. 6. Type in a name for the stage and press enter to save it. 7. Click the newly added stage name to add the selected sequence flow to this stage. 8. If a stage already exists, follow these steps to add a sequence flow to it. 1. Select the sequence flow object. 2. View the configuration menu, and expand the **Stages** panel. 3. Click on the stage name to add the sequence to it. 9. The name of the stage changes to blue to indicate that the sequence flow has been successfully added. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/2d311614-fcb7-4424-8b4c-d4d3091eebeb/Images/Documentation/Stages Result.gif) 10. The sequence flow in the process also changes to reflect the stage number. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/2d311614-fcb7-4424-8b4c-d4d3091eebeb/Images/Documentation/Stage Added.png) 11. To remove a sequence flow from a stage, select the sequence flow and double-click the stage name from the **Stages** panel. > [!NOTE] > #### Guidelines for Process Stages > > Following these guidelines helps ensure that users see a reliable and meaningful representation of progress throughout the lifecycle of a case: > > - **Assign all sequence flows to a stage** If any sequence flows are left unassigned, the progress bar in the case list may not behave as expected, leading to gaps in stage tracking during case execution. > - **Group sequence flows logically and consecutively within each stage** A stage should represent a continuous segment of the process, with tasks and flows that occur together in sequence. > - **Number of Stages** A process can include up to 8 stages. Keep stages focused and meaningful to avoid unnecessary complexity for end users. --- ### View Stages in the Case List When a process has stages configured, participants can easily track its progress through visual indicators in the [Case list](/v1/docs/view-cases#view-all-cases). - A **Progress** column displays a progress bar that reflects the number of completed stages relative to the total number of stages in the process. - A **Stage** column displays the name of the currently active stage. These visual indicators improve transparency and help participants and administrators effectively monitor the flow of work. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/2d311614-fcb7-4424-8b4c-d4d3091eebeb/Images/Documentation/image(358).png) For processes with no defined stages: - The **Progress** column shows a halfway bar for in-progress cases and a full bar for completed cases. - The **Stage** column displays either *In Progress* or *Completed*, depending on the case status. --- ### View Progress Bar in a Case When [working on a case](/v1/docs/work-on-a-case), the case progress bar is shown in the *Case Summary* and the *Case Details*, giving real-time insight into process advancement. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/2d311614-fcb7-4424-8b4c-d4d3091eebeb/Images/Documentation/View Progress Bar in a Case.png) --- ### Access Stages Data from Process Variables Information about stages is also accessible from a Task’s JSON data model. Inside the [**Task > Data Tab**](/v1/docs/open-a-task#view-task-data), three new variables are available: - `progress` – shows the process progress percentage - `last_stage_id` – the ID of the currently active stage - `last_stage_name` – the name of the currently active stage ![](https://cdn.document360.io/2d311614-fcb7-4424-8b4c-d4d3091eebeb/Images/Documentation/Task Data.png) These can be used for creating conditional logic, reporting, or integration with other features like notifications or external dashboards.