Forecast Types define how revenue and key business metrics are tracked, displayed, and predicted in Forecasting by Backstory. Administrators can customize each Forecast Type to define:
Which opportunities are included
How forecast values are measured
Who owns the forecast value
Which columns and calculations appear
This flexibility allows each team to work from a forecasting view tailored to its business process.
Note: Creating and editing Forecast Types requires a Backstory administrator account.
What This Article Covers
Creating a new Forecast Type
Configuring forecast general settings
Customizing forecast columns
Configuring forecast drill-in views
Frequently asked questions
Create a Forecast Type
Follow the steps below to set up a new Forecast Type or duplicate an existing one.
Log into the Unified Backstory App as an administrator.
Click the grid icon in the top left corner.
Select Admin Panel.
In the left navigation panel, click the + icon next to FORECAST TYPES.
Alternatively, to duplicate an existing Forecast Type, open it, click the three-dot menu in the top right corner, and select Duplicate Forecast Type.
Enter a descriptive name that clearly identifies the purpose of the Forecast. (Examples: “Q1 2024 New Business ACV Forecast” or “Enterprise Renewals Revenue Forecast”)
Select the Forecast Hierarchy type. For more information, see Forecast Hierarchy Management.
Follow the instructions in the sections below to complete configuration:
When configuration is complete, click Create to save the Forecast Type.
Configure General Settings
General Settings define how opportunities are measured, assigned, and filtered within the Forecast.
Navigate to the General tab of the Forecast you want to update.
Configure the Forecast parameters:
Select the measure field, such as ACV, revenue, or deal count.
Select the ownership field to determine how opportunities are assigned.
Select the date field used for time-based calculations, such as Close Date or Renewal Date.
Add one or more filters to control which opportunities are included in the forecast.
Customize Forecast Columns
Control which columns appear in the forecast view and add any custom fields your team needs.
Click the Forecast Fields tab.
Review the default fields. Each of these fields are configurable and can be deleted if they are not needed.
Quota: Target value for a given forecast period. It serves as a fixed benchmark against which other forecast fields can be compared.
Closed Won: Deals successfully closed with revenue secured.
Commit: Deals with a strong expectation of closing in the current quarter.
Commit Call: Estimated commit value that can be adjusted based on judgement.
Best Case: Potential revenue if all qualified active deals are won.
Open Pipeline: Early-stage requiring further qualification and development with a low chance of closing in the current quarter.
Delete a Forecast Field
Follow these steps to remove a forecast field from your Forecast Type.
In the Forecast Fields tab, click the forecast field to expand it.
Click Delete Field in the bottom right corner.
Click Delete to confirm.
Add a Forecast Field
Follow these steps to add a forecast field to your Forecast Type.
In the bottom left of the Forecast Fields tab, click + Add Field.
Enter a Field Name in the editable name field.
(Optional) Enter a field description in the Description field. The description will appear to users via a tooltip next to the field name in the Forecast.
Continue to Configure Forecast Field Settings.
Edit a Forecast Field
Follow these steps to edit an existing forecast field in a Forecast Type.
In the Forecast Fields tab, click the forecast field to expand its settings.
Make any necessary changes (see Configure Forecast Field Settings).
Click Save.
Configure Forecast Field Settings
You can configure each forecast field to control how the data is calculated and displayed.
In the Forecast Fields tab, click the forecast field you want to configure to expand its settings.
Check the Diff Column box if you want to include a column showing how your Forecast has changed since the previous reporting period. Read more >
Check the Visible box if you want the forecast field to appear as a column in the Forecast. Keep the box unchecked if you want to keep the forecast field hidden. This is most commonly used for forecast fields that are used as a reference point for a Forecast comparison field because the reference is displayed in the comparison field already.
Select a Field Type from the dropdown. The field type defines how the data in the field is calculated:
Rollup Field: Aggregates lower-level values into higher-level values. This is the most common type of field.
Adjustment Field: Allows managers to override rolled-up values based on judgement without changing the underlying rolled-up data.
Static Field: A fixed value like a quota or target number, which can be uploaded via CSV. The value stays constant for a given period until explicitly updated.
Formula Field: Automatically calculates values from other fields, like totals or percentages, and updates as inputs change. For example, a "Gap to Quota" field could be calculated as Quota minus Closed Won, where both Quota and Closed Won are themselves forecast fields.
Configure Forecast Field Comparisons
Forecast field comparisons let you display how a forecast field like Closed Won tracks against a reference field like Quota.
Navigate to the Forecast Field tab of the Forecast Type where you want to add a comparison field.
Identify or create the forecast field you want to use as a reference point.
If you use a Static forecast field as the reference point for comparison, you will need to upload data to this field for the specified forecast period using the Custom Data Loader. This upload must be repeated each forecast period (for example, every quarter) or whenever the data changes.
(Optional) Enable the Hide Field setting to prevent this field from displaying in the UI. For example, if the reference field is named "Quota," you may want to hide it because the quota value will already appear in the UI through the comparison field.
Identify the forecast field you want to compare to the reference forecast field. Expand the field settings by clicking on it. Click the Show Comparison toggle to enable it.
Click the Comparison Point dropdown and select the reference field identified in the first step.
Click the Display Type dropdown and select how the comparison appears in the UI.
Gap (default): Shows the difference between the forecast field and the reference point. This is the default because it reflects the most common configuration used by Backstory customers today.
Progress Indicator: Shows how far the forecast field has progressed toward the reference point.
Click Save.
When you return to the Forecast, the comparison field will show.
Configure Drill-In Views
Drill-in views are detailed Backstory Sheets that show a list of individual deals when users click into forecast fields.
Open the Drill-In Sheet tab.
Select the fiscal period from the dropdown menu.
Customize the drill-in view by adjusting search, sort, grouping, and visible columns.
Include Backstory–derived fields such as Deal Risk Score, Predicted Stage, scorecard metrics, and activity data as needed.
Click Save (or Create if creating a new Forecast Type).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit a Forecast Type after it's created?
Yes, but with some limitations. You can modify most Forecast Type configurations at any time. Open the Forecast Type, make changes to the desired fields, and click Save. However, once users have made submissions to a Forecast Type, certain core parameters (such as measure field, ownership field, and date field) become locked and cannot be changed.
Changes to editable fields will affect future forecast submissions and views. If you need to modify locked parameters or want to test major changes without affecting the current configuration, consider duplicating the existing Forecast Type and making your changes to the new version.
Do users need special permissions to see a new Forecast Type?
Yes, administrators must assign users to forecasts and define their permissions (view or submit) down the hierarchy. For larger organizations, this is typically handled via CSV upload in the user permissions configuration.
Need Help?
Contact your Customer Success Manager or email support@backstory.ai.