Answer
How do you identify at-risk deals in HubSpot?
Last updated June 23, 2026Markdown version
You identify at-risk deals in HubSpot by finding deals that are not progressing. The simplest first check is whether the deal has had a meaningful customer engagement recently, especially a completed call or meeting. Deals without progression should be reviewed before they stay in the forecast.
What to check first
- Deals closing this month or quarter
- High-value deals
- Commit or Best case deals
- Deals with no completed call or meeting in your normal review window
- Deals with no next meeting
- Deals where the close date moved recently
- Deals that have been in the same stage too long
- Deals with only one active contact
Definition
An at-risk deal is an open HubSpot deal where the expected outcome is no longer well supported by the way the deal is progressing. The deal may still close, but it needs review before the team trusts the stage, close date, amount, or forecast category.
Why recent customer engagement matters
A completed call or meeting does not prove a deal is safe, but the absence of one is often a warning sign. Email can matter too, but calls and meetings are usually stronger because the customer is still giving the deal real time.
How sales methodologies overlap
BANT, MEDDIC, MEDDPICC, SPIN, Miller Heiman, and Challenger use different language, but they all ask whether the customer is moving through a real decision process. A deal is risky when the seller's forecast is ahead of that progress.
How to check for at-risk deals in HubSpot
Build a short review list before the forecast call. Start with deals carrying forecast weight, then inspect activity history, last completed meeting, next activity, stage age, close date movement, amount changes, and stakeholder coverage.
Types of deal risk
| Risk type | What it means | Signal to review |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification risk | The deal may not be real enough for pipeline | Purchase intent and deal health |
| Progression risk | The deal is not moving forward the way the stage implies | Deal status and recent customer engagement |
| Timing risk | The deal may be real but not close on the current date | Close date confidence |
| Forecast risk | The deal may not belong in the current forecast category | Forecast risk and deal health |
| Stakeholder risk | The deal depends on the wrong person or too few people | Contacts, meetings, and deal context |
Common signs a deal is at risk
| Sign | What it usually means | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| No recent call or meeting | The deal may have lost momentum | When did the customer last spend real time on this? |
| No next meeting | The deal may not have a real next step | What is on the calendar? |
| Close date moved repeatedly | The team may be rolling the deal forward | Why is this date more believable than the last one? |
| Late stage, weak customer movement | The stage may be too optimistic | What happened on the customer side to earn this stage? |
| One active contact | The deal may not have enough support | Who else needs to be involved? |
| Commit deal with no approval path | The category may reflect pressure | What makes this Commit? |
Example
A deal is worth $80,000 and marked Best case. It is supposed to close this month. But there has not been a completed call or meeting in 21 days, there is no next meeting, legal has not started, the close date moved once already, and the only active contact cannot sign. That deal may still be real, but it is at risk.
How Data Parrot helps
Data Parrot connects to HubSpot and helps sales teams find deals that need review before the forecast call.
- Which deals are getting weaker
- Which deals are not progressing
- Which deals have not had a recent call or meeting
- Which close dates look wrong
- Which stages look too optimistic
- Which Commit or Best case deals need review
Frequently asked questions.
Can HubSpot show at-risk deals by itself?
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HubSpot can show deal records, activity history, close dates, stages, owners, forecast categories, and reports. Those are the starting point. The team still has to decide whether the deal is progressing enough to stay in the forecast.
What is the fastest way to find risky deals in HubSpot?
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Start with open deals closing this period. Review high-value deals, deals with no completed call or meeting in your normal review window, deals with no next meeting, recently changed close dates, long stage age, and Commit or Best case deals.
What is the difference between an at-risk deal and a stale deal?
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A stale deal has stopped moving. An at-risk deal may still have activity, but the activity does not support the close date, stage, amount, or forecast category.
Should sales managers remove every at-risk deal from the forecast?
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No. Risk does not mean the deal is dead. It means the deal needs review. The manager should look at whether the deal is progressing, challenge the close date or forecast category if needed, and decide what would make the deal stronger.
Review your revenue data with Data Parrot.
Data Parrot is an AI revenue intelligence platform for CEOs, CROs, and revenue leaders that monitors every deal, pipeline movement, and customer interaction so you can trust the forecast, catch slippage early, and focus the team where it matters.