Board views let you group your contacts (or accounts) into columns based on a single dropdown field, then drag records between columns as their status changes. It's a kanban-style alternative to scrolling through a table, and it works alongside the standard table view without replacing it.
Before You Start: Create Your Grouping Field
Board views group records by a single-select dropdown field, so that field needs to exist before you create the board. Think of the field as your pipeline in list form — each option becomes one column on the board.
A common setup is a field called Sales Status, with options that move from open to closed, for example: Lead In, Contacted, Qualified, Discovery Call, Application, Agreement, Closed Won, Closed Lost. Your stages will vary based on your own process, but the same open-to-closed logic applies.
Once this field exists, you're ready to create the board view.
How to Create a Board View
Go to Settings and click Customize.
Click Contact to expand it.
Click Board Views.
Click Create Board View.
Enter a View Name.
Set Item Type to Contact.
Choose a field under Group into Columns By.
Only single-select dropdown fields with up to 40 options can be used for grouping. Fields marked as tracked record every change made to them, which lets the board show how long each record has sat in a given column.
Check Also Show This Field at the Top of the Record if you want the field visible as a full-width strip below the record name, so it can be changed in one click without opening the record's fields.
Check Track Changes to This Field if you want the board to show average time spent in each column. This also logs changes to the field in the Change Audit Trail report.
Choose how cards should be sorted under Sort Cards By, and the order under Order.
Choose who can see this view under Who Can See This View.
Click Save.
How to Switch to Board View
Go to Contacts and click the board view icon next to the list view icon, above the contact table.
Your board loads with a column for each option in the field you grouped by.
Contacts that don't have a value for the field appear in the Not Selected column, which is always the last column on the board.
How to Manage Existing Board Views
Go to Contacts and switch to board view.
Click the dropdown with your current board's name in it.
Click Manage Boards.
From here you can edit an existing board's settings, create an additional board, or switch between boards you've already created.
How to Add, Rename, Reorder, or Remove Stages on Your Board
Each column on your board is an option in the dropdown field the board is grouped by (likely a field like Lead Status, Sales Status, or similar). To change your stages, edit that field's options. Only Admins can edit custom field options.
Click Customize in the sidebar.
In the Objects card, click Contacts to expand it.
Click Contacts Fields.
Find the field your board is grouped by and click its pencil icon.
Scroll to the Options section.
If your account uses a different name for contacts, such as Candidates, the page uses that name instead, for example Candidates Fields.
From the Options section, you can make any of these changes:
Add a stage - type the stage name in the Add Option box and click the add button next to it. A new column appears on your board.
Rename a stage - double-click the option, type the new name, and press Enter. Contacts already in that stage update to the new name automatically. If you have filter views that filter on the old name, update them to use the new one.
Reorder stages - drag the options into the order you want. Columns appear on the board left to right in this order.
Remove a stage - click the trash icon next to the option, then click Sure?. Move any contacts in that stage to another stage first. Contacts left on a removed stage no longer appear on the board, and any automations triggered by that stage are deleted.
When you're done, click Save at the bottom of the modal.
How to Turn a Board View Into a Pipeline
A contact or account board can work like a sales pipeline, with Open, Won, and Lost stages, warming and rotting card colors, loss reasons, and stage gates that block a move until a field is filled in. See How to Use a Contact or Account Board as a Pipeline.
How to Run Automations When a Contact Changes Stage
Each stage can also send an email, launch a series, or take other actions automatically when a contact moves into it. See How to Run Automations When a Contact Moves to a Board Stage.
Board Views for Accounts
Board views work the same way for accounts. Go to Settings, click Customize, expand Account instead of Contact, and follow the same steps under Board Views.
Key Notes
Board views are separate from filter views. A filter view narrows a list by rule; a board view groups an entire list into columns by one field.
Opportunities already have their own board view, documented in Opportunities & Pipelines Page Walkthrough.
Grouping is limited to single-select dropdown fields with 40 or fewer options.