# Sales forecast

> Track a month's sales against a goal in CRM Deals, sort deals into forecast categories, submit a forecast, and compare it with actual wins.

Canonical: https://help.spacebrain.ai/crm/sales-forecast/
Last modified: 2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Z

The sales forecast shows how much you've won this month, what's still likely to close, and how that compares with your goal. Sales managers use it to submit a monthly forecast and look back at how accurate it was. Everyone else can use it to see where the month stands.

## Before you begin [#before-you-begin]

* **Plan:** the forecast is part of Deal Analytics, which is included with Starter and above. On other plans you see **Do more with Deal Analytics** and an upgrade button.
* **Role:** anyone who can see Deals can view the forecast. Only CRM managers (by default, workspace owners and admins) can set a goal and submit a forecast. Others see **A CRM manager can set goals and submit forecasts.**
* **Data:** deals need a **Value**, a **Currency**, and an **Expected close** date to be counted properly.

## Where to find it [#where-to-find-it]

Open **CRM → Deals** and choose **Forecast** in the view switch, next to **Table** and **Kanban**. You can also search for "Sales forecast" in the search bar.

## Understand the numbers [#understand-the-numbers]

At the top, choose:

* **Month**: the month to review. Use the arrows to go back or forward.
* **Currency**: a three-letter code such as USD, EUR, or GBP.
* **Team or rep**: **Entire workspace** or one team member.

The forecast then shows:

| Number                     | What it means                                                                                                                                  |
| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Won in \[month]**        | Deals marked won with a close date in that month.                                                                                              |
| Goal progress              | How far you are toward the monthly goal, and how much is left.                                                                                 |
| **Submitted forecast**     | The latest forecast a manager submitted for this month.                                                                                        |
| **Weighted open pipeline** | Open deals expected to close this month, multiplied by the win probability of their stage.                                                     |
| **Pipeline coverage**      | Weighted pipeline divided by what's left to reach the goal. For example, **2×** means you have twice as much likely pipeline as you need. |

Won deals count in the month they closed. Open deals count in the month of their **Expected close** date. Dates use UTC.

### Currencies aren't converted [#currencies-arent-converted]

The forecast only counts deals in the currency you choose. Spacebrain doesn't convert between currencies. If you sell in USD and EUR, check each currency separately.

On the **Table** and **Kanban** views, totals that mix currencies show **Mixed currencies**. Add a **Currency** filter to see comparable amounts.

### Imported deals count when they really closed [#imported-deals-count-when-they-really-closed]

When you import won or lost deals from another CRM, Spacebrain keeps their original close date. A deal won in March and imported in September counts toward March.

## Sort deals into forecast categories [#sort-deals-into-forecast-categories]

Every open deal has a **Forecast category**:

| Category      | Use it for                                  |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Pipeline**  | Early opportunities still being qualified.  |
| **Best case** | Could close if the remaining steps go well. |
| **Commit**    | You expect it to close by its close date.   |
| **Omitted**   | Leave out of the weighted forecast.         |

Won deals appear as **Closed won**.

To change a deal's category:

1. In **CRM → Deals**, select the deal's name to open its panel.
2. On the **Details** tab, choose a **Forecast category**.

Closed deals keep their won or lost result, so the menu is greyed out for them.

In the forecast, the **Pipeline by forecast category** table shows the number and value of deals in each category. Select a category name to open those deals in **Table** view, filtered to that month, currency, and rep. Missing or invalid amounts are counted separately so you can fix them.

## Submit a monthly forecast (managers) [#submit-a-monthly-forecast-managers]

1. Choose the **Month**, **Currency**, and **Team or rep**.
2. Review won deals, the category table, and coverage.
3. Under **Submit a forecast**, optionally enter a **Monthly goal**.
4. Enter the **Forecast total**: the full amount you expect to win this month, *including* deals already won.
5. Optionally explain your thinking in **What changed? (optional)**, for example "Acme moved to next month; Globex upgraded to Commit."
6. Choose **Submit forecast**.

**What you should see:** **Forecast submitted. Your review has been added to the history.** The goal bar shows a **Submitted forecast** marker.

### Example [#example]

The goal for October is 50,000 USD. You've won 18,000. Commit deals add up to 20,000 and Best case deals to 15,000. You decide to forecast 45,000: everything won, all Commit deals, and about half of Best case. You submit 45,000 with the note "Globex best case depends on legal review."

## Review forecast history [#review-forecast-history]

**Submission history** lists every forecast for the month and scope, newest first. Each one shows:

* Who submitted it and when.
* The goal, what had been won at that point, and what's been won now.
* How far actual wins are above or below the forecast. After the month ends, this is shown in green or red.

Old submissions don't change when deals move later, so you can see how the forecast changed over the month. Choose **Older submissions** to see more.

## If something goes wrong [#if-something-goes-wrong]

* **The forecast shows zero, but I have deals.** Check the **Currency** code and the **Month**. Then check the deals have a value and an **Expected close** date in that month.
* **A deal is in the wrong month.** Open the deal and update **Expected close**. Won deals use their close date.
* **"A newer review or this submission is already saved."** Someone else submitted first. Choose **Refresh forecast**, check the history, and submit again if needed.
* **"The submission could not be confirmed."** Retry with the same values, or reload and check the history before submitting again.
* **I can't submit.** Only CRM managers can submit. Ask a workspace admin.

## FAQ [#faq]

### What's the difference between the weighted forecast and my submitted forecast? [#whats-the-difference-between-the-weighted-forecast-and-my-submitted-forecast]

The weighted forecast is calculated from stage probabilities. Your submitted forecast is your own judgement. Comparing the two helps you spot deals that are over- or under-rated.

### Does changing a forecast category change the deal's stage? [#does-changing-a-forecast-category-change-the-deals-stage]

No. The stage shows where the deal is in your process. The category shows how confident you are that it will close.

## Next step [#next-step]

Help deals move forward with the [deal brief and AI fields](/crm/deal-intelligence-and-ai-fields/).