Lead sources
Set the list of places your leads come from, such as Website, Referral or LinkedIn, and the order they show in.
Updated 28 October 2026 · 3 min read
A lead source says where a lead came from, such as Website, Referral or LinkedIn. Your team picks one on every lead, so you can see later which places bring the most business.
For example, a digital marketing agency gets most leads from Google. The default list has 30 sources, and most don't apply. The owner adds "Google Business Profile" near the top, and makes Television / Radio Ad inactive. Now the team picks from a short list that matches how leads really arrive, and reports on lead source are useful.
Before you start
- Permission: View Dropdown Lists to see the list. Create Dropdown Values to add a value, Edit Dropdown Values to change one or switch it off, and Delete Dropdown Values to delete one.
- Plan: Every plan. See Plans and limits.
- Set up first: Nothing.
If you don't have a permission you need, ask your admin.
Where it's used
- Lead Source on leads, contacts and deals.
- Lead scoring rules. See Configure lead scoring.
The list
Go to Settings → Dropdown Lists and select Lead Sources. You start with 30 sources, such as Website, Contact Form, Referral and Cold Call.
Add a value
- Select Add Source. The Create window opens.
- Fill in the fields. Fields marked * must be filled in.
- Select Create.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Source * | The name, up to 100 characters, such as "Google Business Profile" |
| Sequence * | Its place in the dropdown, from 1 to 100. Lower numbers come first |
| Description | When to use it, up to 255 characters |
New values show in everyone's dropdowns straight away.
Change, switch off or delete
Select ⋮ on a value:
- Edit changes it. The window is called Update.
- Make it Inactive hides it from dropdowns. Records that already use it keep it. Make it Active shows it again.
- Delete removes it. You can't delete a value that records still use.
Each one asks you to confirm first. See Dropdown lists.
Renaming a value doesn't change records that already use the old name. They keep showing the old name.
A lead source used by leads, contacts or deals can't be deleted.
Troubleshooting
| Message | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Lead source cannot be deleted as it is used by … Deactivate it instead to hide it from new records." | Records still use the value | Select Make it Inactive instead |
| "A lead source with this name already exists." | The name is taken, maybe by a deleted value | Pick another name |
| "Sequence must be at least 1" or "Sequence cannot be more than 100" | The sequence is outside 1 to 100 | Enter a number from 1 to 100 |
Related
Still stuck?
Tell us what you were trying to do and we will help.