A custom stage in Dapple is a workflow position you add to a project beyond the default New and Completed endpoints. Custom stages let you model your exact review process — shortlisting, panel review, final decision — each with its own status mapping, applicant-facing label, and optional automations or review rounds. Add one by opening a project, clicking Workflow & Reviews in the top navigation, then + Add Stage in the top-right corner.
How do I add a new stage in Dapple?
Open the project and click Workflow & Reviews in the top navigation (alongside Settings and Form Builder). The stages board shows all existing stages as horizontal columns. Click + Add Stage in the top-right corner to create a new one.
Steps:
Open your project → Workflow & Reviews.
Click + Add Stage in the top-right corner.
Enter an internal stage name in the Edit stage panel that opens.
Set the Display name for applicants — what applicants see as their submission status.
Choose the status mapping from the dropdown on the new stage column.
Click Save.
The new stage is added to the end of the board by default. Use the left arrow (<) in the stage column header to move it into the right position.
What's the difference between the internal name and the applicant-facing label?
Every stage has two separate names you set independently:
Name | What it does |
Internal stage name | Shown to your team throughout the admin app — in filters, exports, and the stages board. Use whatever naming convention works for your internal process. |
Display name for applicants | Shown to applicants as their submission status on the Applicant Dashboard. Keep this clear and human — applicants don't need to know your internal process names. |
Example: your internal name might be "Panel Shortlist Review" while applicants simply see "In Progress". The two can be completely different.
How do I choose the right status for a new stage?
Every stage maps to one of four fixed statuses. Choose the status that reflects what a submission entering this stage means:
Status | When to use it |
New | Fixed to the first stage — can't be applied to a custom stage you add. |
In Progress | The right choice for most custom stages — shortlisting, review rounds, panel decisions, anything mid-workflow. |
Rejected | Use for any stage that marks an exit point where submissions are declined. A project can have more than one Rejected stage. |
Completed | Fixed to the last stage — can't be applied to a custom stage you add. |
New and Completed are always locked to the first and last positions in your workflow. Any custom stage you add sits in between and maps to either In Progress or Rejected.
How do I position a new stage in the workflow?
New stages are added to the end of the board. To move a stage into the right position, use the left (<) and right (>) arrow icons in the stage column header. Each click moves the stage one position in that direction.
The order on the board is the order submissions move through the project — so get this right before submissions start arriving. You can reorder stages at any point, but changes take effect immediately for all active submissions.
Should the new stage appear on the stages board?
By default, new stages are visible as columns on the stages board. If you want a stage to be active but hidden from the board — a rejection exit or an internal holding stage — toggle Show on stages board off in the Edit stage panel (pencil icon).
Hidden stages still function normally. Submissions can be moved into them, automations still fire, and review rounds still run. The stage just doesn't appear as a column in the board view. A Hidden badge shows on the stage header to remind your team it exists.
How many custom stages can I add?
There's no fixed limit on the number of stages in a project. In practice, most projects work best with three to six stages total — enough to represent real decision points without creating unnecessary steps for your team to manage.
If you find yourself adding stages to track internal team handoffs rather than actual submission decisions, that's usually a sign the stage structure is getting too granular. Automations and review rounds are often a better tool for those transitions.
Best practices for designing custom stages
Map stages to real decision points, not team transitions. If no decision is being made, it probably doesn't need to be a stage.
Keep applicant-facing display names brief and positive where possible. "In Progress" or "Under Review" works better than a stage name that reveals your internal process.
Add your custom stages before going live. Restructuring stages after submissions arrive is possible but can cause confusion for applicants who see their status change unexpectedly.
Use automations on custom stages to reduce manual work — for example, automatically assigning submissions to a review group when they enter a shortlisting stage.
Attach a review round to any stage where scoring or feedback is needed, so reviewers know exactly what to do when a submission lands there.
Where to go next