Pipelines and workflows in MediaOS give you a visual and automated way to manage your sales and delivery processes. From lead tracking to content delivery, pipelines help streamline tasks, trigger automations, and keep your team aligned—every step of the way.
Overview of Pipelines in MediaOS #
Pipelines in MediaOS operate like a Kanban board, allowing you to move work between stages with a simple drag-and-drop interface. This system supports nearly every major area of your business operations. You can create pipelines for Accounts, Agencies, Contacts, Contracts, Deals, Content, Line Items (used for ad collection), Requests (used for ad requests), Invoices, the Flat Plan, Payments, Tasks, and Products. Each of these modules can have its own tailored pipeline setup, complete with custom statuses and automation triggers. This gives your team full control over how work is visualized and progressed throughout your business processes.
Setting Up a Pipeline #
To set up a pipeline, begin by navigating to Automations in the left-hand menu, then select Pipelines from the top menu bar. From here, use the sub-menu to select the module you want to work with, such as Contracts, Content, or Line Items. If you're starting from scratch, click + New Pipeline, give it a name, and hit Save. If you're working with an existing setup, use the Select Pipeline dropdown to choose the one you want to edit.
After creating or selecting a pipeline, you can start building out your stages by clicking + Add Pipeline Status. Each status should represent a specific step in your workflow, and you’ll be able to assign a color for easy visual organization. Once you’ve added a name and selected a color, click Save. Repeat this process to continue fleshing out your workflow, adding as many statuses as needed to reflect your internal process.
Each status you create becomes a vital part of your visual workflow, allowing your team to monitor and manage progress in real time.
Common Status Examples by Pipeline Type #
Different types of pipelines benefit from different status setups. For sales and client tracking, the Accounts pipeline often includes statuses such as First Call, Warm, Qualified, Opportunity, Proposal, and Interested. More advanced stages like Currently Advertising, Up for Renewal, Sold, and Cold allow you to continue managing the client relationship post-sale.
The Contracts pipeline frequently includes statuses like Up for Renewal, Active Negotiation, Renewed, and Non Renewed. This layout helps teams stay focused on renewal efforts and manage negotiations more efficiently.
For ad teams, the Line Items pipeline is a great way to track ad material collection. Common statuses here include Order Placed, Ad Materials Needed, Ad Materials Collected, Send for Internal Design, Client Approval Pending, and Approved. These stages provide a clear path from order intake to final approval.
Editorial teams often use the Content pipeline. A typical setup may include Story Pitch, Assigned, Ready for Review, Needs Revisions, and Approved. Each status helps content move through the editorial process efficiently while maintaining visibility into what's ready and what still needs attention.
In the Requests pipeline, which handles ad requests, you might see statuses like Request Received, Materials Received, Design in Progress, Proof Ready for Review, Proof Declined, and Approved. These labels make it easier to manage creative assets and client feedback loops.
Finally, the Flat Plan pipeline is used by teams preparing for print or digital publishing. Statuses here may include Content, No Status, In Progress, Complete, Print Ready, and Error. This pipeline makes it simple to verify what's done and what still needs work before going to print
Assigning Statuses in Practice #
Once your pipelines are configured, you can assign statuses to specific records within their respective modules. For example, when managing your sales pipeline, you can move contracts through statuses like Active Negotiation and Renewed right from the Sales section. If you’re handling editorial work, your content pieces can move from Assigned to Approved within the Content module. Similarly, design teams using ad request pipelines can manage creative progress from intake to final approval.
Connecting Workflows to Pipeline Statuses #
One of the most powerful features of MediaOS pipelines is the ability to tie specific workflows to each status. This allows you to automate tasks such as sending notifications, assigning records, or updating fields whenever a record moves to a certain stage.
To set up a workflow connection, start by going to Automations in the left-hand menu and clicking Pipelines from the top menu. Select the relevant module from the dropdown list and then click on the Automation tab below it. Here, you’ll see a grid of all the statuses in that pipeline. Simply find the status you want to enhance with automation and click Create Workflow beneath it. From there, you can build logic to suit your team’s needs—whether that’s auto-assigning work, notifying clients, or kicking off additional workflows.
Use Cases and Workflow Recommendations #
Using pipelines effectively means aligning them with your existing processes. For example, creating a pipeline under Line Items allows ad teams to track where each advertisement stands in the collection process. This ensures no ad goes to print without materials in place. For editorial teams, a pipeline under the Content module gives full visibility into story progress, making it easier to hit deadlines and manage revisions.
Sales teams benefit from contract-based pipelines, helping them prioritize renewals and manage active negotiations. Meanwhile, marketing and design teams handling ad creation can streamline their operations using the Requests pipeline, moving assets from Materials Received to Approved with clear visibility and minimal confusion.
Lastly, your production team can rely on the Flat Plan pipeline to make sure content and layout are finalized before a publication goes live or to print. Every status in this setup helps verify that all required work has been completed.
Managing Ad Collection Through Pipelines #
To improve visibility and tracking of your advertising process, MediaOS recommends creating a dedicated pipeline for ad collection. This specialized pipeline makes it easy to monitor the status of each ad throughout its lifecycle. Begin by clicking Automations on the left-hand menu, followed by Pipelines in the top navigation. From the submenu, select Line Item as the pipeline category. Then click + New Pipeline to initiate a new workflow.
In the dialog box that appears, enter a name for your ad collection pipeline and click Save. Once your pipeline is created, you’ll want to set up its statuses. To do this, click + Add Pipeline Status, assign a name to your new status, choose a color to represent it, and click Save again. Common status names for an ad collection pipeline might include Order Placed, Ad Materials Collected, Ad Materials Needed, Send for Internal Design, Client Approval Pending, and Approved. These statuses help your team quickly understand where each ad stands and what needs to happen next.
