The Complete Kommo CRM Setup Guide: Your First 30 Days

1. Understanding and Building Your Sales Pipeline

Your pipeline is the visual backbone of your sales process in Kommo. Think of it as a Kanban board where each column represents a stage in your customer's journey—from first enquiry to closed deal. Every lead appears as a card that moves through these stages, giving you instant visibility into where every opportunity stands and what needs attention.

Getting your pipeline structure right is the most important first step. Everything else in Kommo—your messaging channels, automations, reporting—builds on this foundation. Spend time here before rushing to connect WhatsApp or build fancy automations.

How to Create Your Pipeline

1. Access Pipeline Settings — Navigate to Settings → Pipelines and Stages from your Kommo dashboard
2. Create a New Pipeline — Click + Add Pipeline and give it a clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Sales Pipeline" or "Customer Enquiries")
3. Add Your Stages — Click + Add Stage to create each step of your workflow. Start with 4-6 stages that match your actual sales process
4. Arrange the Order — Drag and drop stages to match the natural flow of your customer conversations
5. Set Stage Colours — Use colours strategically to identify stage status at a glance. Green for positive progress, amber for action needed, red for at-risk

Designing Stages That Match Your Real Workflow

The biggest mistake new Kommo users make is creating an idealized pipeline instead of mapping their actual sales conversations. Your stages should represent real checkpoints where a lead's status meaningfully changes—not theoretical steps from a sales textbook.

Here's a typical pipeline structure that works well for service-based businesses in Singapore and across Asia Pacific:

When to Use Multiple Pipelines

Kommo allows you to create multiple pipelines, but use this capability judiciously. Create separate pipelines only when you have genuinely different sales processes with distinct stages.

Good reasons for multiple pipelines:

• You sell both products and services with different customer journeys
• B2B and B2C sales with different qualification criteria
• Different business units with separate teams and processes

Bad reasons for multiple pipelines:

• Different lead sources (use tags instead)
• Different products within the same sales process (use custom fields)
• Different team members handling leads (use assignment rules)

Setting Up Custom Fields

Out of the box, Kommo captures basic lead information. But your business likely needs to track specific details that matter for your sales process. Custom fields let you capture this information systematically.

1. Access Field Settings — Go to Settings → Fields
2. Add New Fields — Click + Add Field and choose the field type (text, dropdown, number, date, etc.)
3. Name Clearly — Use descriptive names your team will understand instantly
4. Set as Required — Mark critical fields as required to ensure data completeness

Common custom fields for Singapore businesses:

• Budget range (dropdown)
• Product/service interest (multi-select)
• Referral source (dropdown: Google, Instagram, referral, walk-in, etc.)
• Preferred contact time (dropdown)
• Company size (for B2B)
• Location/district (relevant for service businesses)

2. Connecting Your Messaging Channels

Kommo's core strength is bringing all your customer conversations into one unified inbox. No more switching between WhatsApp on your phone, Instagram DMs on another device, and Facebook Messenger in a browser tab. Every conversation, from every channel, appears in one place—attached to the relevant lead card in your pipeline.

For businesses in Singapore and across Asia Pacific, WhatsApp is typically the highest-volume channel. Instagram DM and Facebook Messenger are increasingly important for retail, F&B, and service businesses. Kommo connects to all of them.

Supported Messaging Channels

How to Connect a Channel

1. Go to Integrations — Navigate to Settings → Integrations
2. Find Your Channel — Search for WhatsApp, Instagram, or your preferred platform
3. Complete Authentication — Follow the setup wizard to connect your business account. You'll need admin access to the relevant business accounts.
4. Configure Settings — Set which pipeline incoming messages should flow to, and configure auto-assignment rules if desired
5. Test the Connection — Send a test message from a personal account to confirm everything works correctly

WhatsApp Business API: What You Need to Know

Kommo connects to WhatsApp through the official WhatsApp Business API—not the regular WhatsApp app or the free WhatsApp Business app. Understanding this distinction is critical before you begin setup.

To connect WhatsApp Business API, you'll need:

• A Facebook Business Manager account
• A phone number not already registered with any WhatsApp account
• Business verification with Meta (can take 2-7 days)
• Approximately 30 minutes for initial setup

The 24-Hour Customer Service Window

WhatsApp Business API has specific rules about when and how you can message customers. Understanding these rules prevents frustration and failed automations.

Within 24 hours of the customer's last message: You can send any message—freeform text, images, documents, links. This is your "customer service window" for active conversations.

After 24 hours: You can only send pre-approved template messages. These templates must be submitted to Meta for approval (usually takes 24-48 hours). Templates are typically used for order confirmations, appointment reminders, and follow-up messages.

Kommo guides you through template creation and submission. Plan your essential templates during setup so they're approved and ready when you need them.

What Happens to Historical Messages?

When you connect a messaging channel, Kommo only captures conversations from the moment of connection onwards. Historical messages don't import automatically.

If you have important ongoing conversations from before the connection:

• Manually create lead cards for key contacts
• Export and import contact lists separately
• Use the notes feature to summarise previous conversation context

3. Setting Up Automations with Salesbot

Automation is where Kommo transforms from a simple inbox into a genuine sales system. Kommo's no-code Salesbot lets you automate repetitive tasks, ensure consistent follow-up, and respond to leads instantly—even outside business hours.

But here's the critical insight most new users miss: automation should enhance your sales process, not replace human connection. Start with simple automations that handle administrative tasks and free your team for meaningful conversations. Complex chatbot flows can come later, once you understand your customers' patterns.

Essential Automations to Set Up First

Creating Your First Salesbot

1. Open Salesbot — Go to Leads → Automate → Salesbot
2. Create New Bot — Click + Create Bot and give it a descriptive name
3. Choose Your Trigger — What starts the automation? Options include: new lead created, stage change, incoming message, time elapsed, task completed
4. Add Conditions (Optional) — Narrow when the bot fires. For example: "only if channel is WhatsApp" or "only if deal value is above $1,000"
5. Add Actions — What should happen? Send message, assign user, create task, move stage, update field, send notification
6. Test Thoroughly — Create a test lead and verify the bot fires correctly before activating for all leads

Salesbot vs Digital Pipeline: When to Use Each

Kommo has two automation systems that sometimes confuse new users. Understanding the distinction helps you build the right automation in the right place.

Rule of thumb: If you're sending messages to customers, use Salesbot. If you're automating internal actions (tasks, notifications, stage movements), use Digital Pipeline.

WhatsApp Automation Considerations

Automating WhatsApp messages requires understanding Meta's messaging policies to avoid failed messages and blocked accounts.

Within the 24-hour window: Salesbot can send any message type—text, images, quick replies, buttons. Use this for active conversation flows.

Outside the 24-hour window: Only pre-approved template messages can be sent. Plan your templates during setup:

• Follow-up template: "Hi [Name], we haven't heard from you about [product/service]. Still interested?"
• Appointment reminder: "Your appointment is confirmed for [date] at [time]. Reply YES to confirm."
• Quote follow-up: "Hi [Name], did you have any questions about the proposal we sent?"

4. Adding and Managing Your Team

Whether you're a solo founder or managing a sales team across multiple locations, Kommo's team features ensure everyone has the access they need while maintaining visibility and accountability.

Inviting Team Members

1. Access User Settings — Go to Settings → Users
2. Add New User — Click + Add User and enter their email address
3. Set Their Role — Choose Admin (full access), Manager (team oversight), or User (individual contributor)
4. Assign to Pipeline — Determine which pipelines this team member can access
5. Configure Permissions — Fine-tune what they can see and do: view all leads vs only assigned, edit vs read-only, access to settings

Setting Up Lead Assignment

How leads get assigned to team members significantly impacts response time and workload distribution. Kommo offers several approaches:

Manual Assignment: Team leads or managers drag leads to specific team members. Best for small teams or complex deals requiring careful matching.

Round-Robin: Leads automatically rotate evenly among team members. Fair distribution, works well for similar lead types.

Rule-Based: Specific lead types route to specific people. Instagram enquiries to one person, WhatsApp to another. Or high-value leads to senior staff.

Configure assignment rules in Leads → Automate → Digital Pipeline or through Salesbot triggers.

Notification Setup

Proper notifications ensure your team never misses a lead. Each team member configures their own preferences:

1. Mobile App — Install the Kommo mobile app (iOS/Android) and enable push notifications. Critical for real-time response.
2. Browser Notifications — Enable desktop notifications when working from computer
3. Email Alerts — Configure email notifications for daily summaries or immediate alerts
4. Telegram Integration — Set up a Salesbot that sends notifications to a Telegram channel for team-wide visibility

Monitoring Team Performance

Kommo provides visibility into team activity without micromanagement. Access team performance data through Settings → Statistics:

• Response time: How quickly does each team member reply to new leads?
• Messages sent: Volume of customer communication per person
• Deals closed: Conversion rate and deal value by team member
• Tasks completed: Follow-through on scheduled activities
• Activity timeline: Detailed log of actions taken on each lead

Use this data for coaching conversations and workload balancing—not for punitive metrics. Teams that feel trusted outperform teams under surveillance.

5. Syncing Kommo with Your Business Workflow

The first 30 days with any CRM involves adjustment. Your initial pipeline won't be perfect. Automations will need tweaking. Team habits take time to form. This is normal—expect it and plan for iteration.

Week-by-Week Workflow Refinement

Common Adjustments to Expect

Pipeline changes: You'll likely add 1-2 stages and remove or rename others. Common additions include a "Nurture" stage for cold leads and a "Qualified" stage between initial contact and proposal.

Custom field additions: As you process real leads, you'll identify information you wish you were capturing. Add these fields as you discover them—don't try to anticipate everything upfront.

Automation timing: Your follow-up automations will probably fire too early or too late at first. Adjust delays based on actual customer response patterns.

Notification tuning: Team members may get too many or too few notifications initially. Find the balance between staying responsive and avoiding alert fatigue.

Handling Leads That Go Cold

Not every lead converts immediately. Some go quiet for weeks or months before re-engaging. Your pipeline needs a strategy for these situations.

Option 1: Nurture Stage — Create a stage at the end of your pipeline (before Won/Lost) for leads that aren't ready now but might be later. Set automations to follow up at 30, 60, and 90 days.

Option 2: Unsorted Area — Move leads to Kommo's Unsorted section to keep your active pipeline clean while preserving the opportunity.

Option 3: Closed-Timing Lost — Close as lost with "timing" as the reason, but set a reactivation task for future outreach.

Whatever approach you choose, document it so your team handles these situations consistently.

Weekly Maintenance Habits

Allocate 30 minutes weekly for pipeline hygiene:

• Check for duplicate leads and merge them
• Review leads stuck in early stages for more than 7 days
• Clear out definitively lost leads from active pipeline
• Verify automations are firing correctly (check logs)
• Review team response times and follow up on outliers

These small maintenance tasks prevent pipeline clutter from accumulating and ensure your data stays meaningful.

6. Your 30-Day Setup Timeline

Here's a realistic timeline for getting Kommo operational. Some businesses complete this faster; some need longer. Adjust based on your team's capacity and the complexity of your sales process.

Days 1-3: Foundation Setup

• Create your Kommo account and complete initial configuration
• Build your first pipeline with 4-6 stages
• Add essential custom fields (3-5 maximum to start)
• Configure basic account settings and timezone
• Invite your first team member (even if just for testing)

Days 4-7: Channel Connection

• Connect your primary messaging channel (usually WhatsApp)
• Submit initial WhatsApp templates for approval
• Test the connection with real messages
• Configure which pipeline incoming leads enter
• Process your first real leads through the system

Days 8-14: Basic Automation

• Create instant auto-reply Salesbot
• Set up task creation automation for new leads
• Configure lead assignment rules (if team > 1)
• Test automations thoroughly with dummy leads
• Connect secondary channel (Instagram or Facebook)

Days 15-21: Team Adoption

• Train all team members on daily workflow
• Ensure mobile app installed with notifications enabled
• Run daily check-ins on usage and address friction
• Refine assignment and notification settings
• Begin tracking response time metrics

Days 22-30: Optimisation

• Review pipeline stages and adjust based on real usage
• Add or modify custom fields based on identified needs
• Tune automation timing and triggers
• Set up reporting dashboards for ongoing monitoring
• Document your workflows and create team SOPs

7. Troubleshooting Common Issues

Every new CRM implementation hits bumps. Here are the most common issues new Kommo users encounter and how to resolve them quickly.

WhatsApp Messages Not Sending

Symptom: You compose a message but it fails to deliver or shows an error.

Common causes and solutions:

• 24-hour window expired: If it's been more than 24 hours since the customer's last message, you must use an approved template. Check your template library and select an appropriate one.
• Template not approved: New templates take 24-48 hours for Meta approval. Check template status in your WhatsApp integration settings.
• Billing issue: WhatsApp Business API has per-conversation costs. Verify your payment method is current in your Meta Business Manager.
• Number blocked: If you've sent too many messages too quickly, WhatsApp may temporarily restrict your number. Wait 24 hours and reduce sending volume.

Always check the message log in the lead card—it often shows specific error messages that pinpoint the issue.

Leads Not Appearing in Pipeline

Symptom: Customers are messaging but no lead cards are being created.

Common causes and solutions:

• Wrong pipeline selected: Check your integration settings to confirm which pipeline incoming leads enter. They might be going to "Unsorted" or a different pipeline.
• Integration disconnected: Re-authenticate your channel connection in Settings → Integrations.
• Partial setup: If you didn't complete all integration steps, the connection might receive messages but fail to create leads. Redo the integration from scratch.

Automations Not Triggering

Symptom: Your Salesbot or Digital Pipeline automation isn't firing when expected.

Troubleshooting steps:

1. Verify the automation is active (not paused or in draft mode)
2. Check trigger conditions—is the specific event actually occurring?
3. Review any conditions you've added—they might be too restrictive
4. Open the automation log to see if it's firing but failing at a specific step
5. Test with a dummy lead that matches all trigger criteria exactly

Common culprits: automation set to wrong pipeline, trigger conditions requiring fields that aren't populated, or WhatsApp template not approved for automated messages.

Duplicate Leads Appearing

Symptom: The same customer appears as multiple lead cards.

Why it happens: If a customer contacts you through multiple channels (WhatsApp and Instagram, for example), Kommo creates separate leads for each until they're merged.

Solution:

• Kommo often detects duplicates automatically and prompts you to merge
• Manually merge by selecting both leads and choosing "Merge"
• Establish a weekly habit of checking for and merging duplicates

Recovering Deleted Leads

Symptom: You (or a team member) accidentally deleted an important lead.

Solution:

1. Open the Recycle Bin from the main menu
2. Locate the deleted lead (searchable by name)
3. Click Restore to recover it to your pipeline

Deleted leads remain in the Recycle Bin for 30 days. After that, deletion is permanent. If you can't find the lead in the Recycle Bin, it may have been merged with another lead rather than deleted—check similar leads for merged records.

9. Getting Expert Support

While this guide covers everything you need for a successful Kommo setup, some businesses prefer guided implementation or need help with complex requirements. LOOP Marketing Group is Kommo's official implementation partner for Singapore and Malaysia, with remote support available throughout Asia Pacific.