Candidates

Overview

Candidates are the central profiles in Leadline's CRM that store all submissions, communications, activity, and other important information collected from applicants. The Candidate profile serves as a single source of truth for candidate submissions and activity across your organization.

→ See 112 - Submissions for more information on Submissions and how they relate to Candidates.

→ See 107 - Communications for more information on how Leadline communicates with Candidates.

What are Candidates?

Candidates are profiles within Leadline's CRM that store:

All Submissions that a single person has applied to across your organization's Positions
Essential contact information and metadata
Communications history, notes, files, and activity

The Candidate profile serves as the single source of truth for candidate Submissions and activity — acting as your organization's system of record for compliance purposes.

How are Candidates Created?

Candidates are created in two ways:

Automatically — Leadline automatically creates a Candidate profile when a person applies to a Position through a Channel Tracking Link. Leadline uses their email address as a unique identifier and builds the Candidate profile on their behalf — this ensures candidates do not need to create an account or profile to complete the application experience.

Manually — Leadline users can create Candidate profiles directly within the CRM at any time.

→ See 106 - Channel-Tracking-Links for more information on Channel Tracking Links and how they relate to Candidates.

→ See 901 - Create-Candidate for instructions on how to manually create a Candidate in the CRM.

Why do Candidates Exist?

Candidates exist so that Leadline users have a centralized place to store and organize Submissions and other important information collected from applicants. Their primary purpose is to consolidate all Submissions a person has made to your organization's Positions in one place and to serve as the organization's system of record for compliance purposes.

Where do You Manage and Access Your Candidates?

All Candidates are managed within the CRM on the Candidates page. The Candidates page displays your full candidate database in a table and allows you to search, filter, and organize candidates using Views — saved filter configurations that persist across sessions.

→ See 135 - Candidate-Views for full product knowledge on Candidate Views and how to use them.

→ See 101 - Platform-Links for the direct link to the Candidates page.

Where do You View and Manage Individual Candidate Profiles?

→ See 902 - View-Candidate-Profile for instructions on how to access and manage individual Candidate profiles.

Who Has Access to the CRM?

Every Leadline user has access to the CRM. However, non-admin users are limited by their permissions — they can only see Candidates associated with Positions they have access to through their Workflow assignment or Collaborator status.

→ See 125 - User-Permissions for more information on user permissions and how they determine which Candidates are visible to non-admin users.

Do Candidates Have Access to the Leadline Platform?

No. Candidates do not have access to the Leadline platform and cannot view any information stored on their Candidate profile. Candidates will only be aware of actions taken by your organization if you communicate with them directly.

→ See 107 - Communications for more information on Leadline's communication capabilities and how they can be used to keep candidates informed about where they stand in the screening process.

What Information is Stored on a Candidate Profile?

Essential Information:

First Name (Required)
Last Name (Required)
Email Address (Required — also serves as the unique identifier)
Phone Number (Optional)
Status (Required)
Tags (Optional)
ATS Syncs (only visible if an ATS integration is connected)
HRIS Syncs (only visible if an HRIS integration is connected)

→ See 120 - ATS-Integrations for more information on ATS integrations.

→ See 121 - HRIS-Integrations for more information on HRIS integrations.

Tabs displayed on the Candidate profile:

Activity
All Submissions
Text Messages
Emails
Notes
Files
Links

Each tab is described in detail in the sections below.

What is a Candidate Status?

Candidate Status is a single, mutually exclusive state — a Candidate has exactly one status at any given time. It answers the question "where does this candidate stand with us right now?" Setting a new status replaces the previous one. Status is a lifecycle field designed to reflect the candidate's current standing in your CRM — for example: Actively Looking, Open to Opportunities, Off the Market, or Do Not Hire.

Note: Candidate statuses are configured by company administrators in the Admin Hub.

→ See 912 - Update-Candidate-Status for instructions on how to update a Candidate's CRM status.

What is the Default Candidate Status for New Candidates?

Leadline includes four default Candidate statuses out of the box:

Warm Lead — the system default status automatically assigned to all new Candidates who apply to a Position via a Channel Tracking Link for the first time
Cold Lead — indicates a candidate who has shown lower engagement or is less likely to move forward in the hiring process
Off the Market — indicates a candidate who is no longer available or actively seeking opportunities
Blocked — indicates a candidate who should not be considered for any open Positions. When a Candidate is marked as Blocked, any new Submissions they create are automatically archived upon submission. This status cannot be deleted but can be renamed.

Note: Default Candidate statuses can be configured and additional statuses can be created by company administrators in the Admin Hub.

→ See 102 - Admin-Hub for more information on the Admin Hub and its configuration options.

→ See 1118 - Configure-Candidate-Status for instructions on how to configure available Candidate statuses within the Admin Hub.

What are Candidate Tags?

Candidate Tags are additive, many-to-many labels — a Candidate can have zero, one, or many tags at once, and adding a new tag never removes an existing one. They answer the question "how do I want to describe, group, or filter this candidate?" Tags are flexible, user-created descriptors used for segmentation and filtering — for example: Bilingual, Referral, CDL, Rehire-Eligible.

Note: Candidate tags are configured by company administrators in the Admin Hub. Users can create new tags if their permissions allow.

→ See 102 - Admin-Hub for more information on how Candidate tags are configured.

→ See 125 - User-Permissions for more information on which users can create new Candidate tags.

→ See 1117 - Configure-Candidate-Tags for instructions on how to configure available Candidate Tags in the CRM in the Admin Hub

→ See 913 - Update-Candidate-Tags for instructions on how to configure assigned tags to Candidates within the CRM.

Can You Send Messages to Candidates?

Yes. Candidates can be contacted via email or SMS text directly from the platform.

→ See 1301 - Send-Email for instructions on how to send an email to a Candidate.

→ See 1302 - Send-SMS-Text for instructions on how to send an SMS text to a Candidate.

→ See 107 - Communications for full product knowledge on Leadline's communication capabilities.

Can Candidates Have Multiple Submissions?

Yes. Candidates can have multiple Submissions across different Positions. However, a Candidate cannot have more than one Submission for the same Position.

→ See 112 - Submissions for more information on Submissions and how they relate to Candidates.

Can Candidates be Merged?

No. Merging Candidate profiles is not currently supported. If a Candidate applies using a different email address or phone number, a new Candidate profile will be created.

→ See 117 - Incomplete-Submissions for more information on what happens when a candidate applies using a different unique identifier.

Can Candidates be Exported?

Yes. You must have the appropriate permissions to export Candidates.

→ See 903 - Export-Candidates for instructions on how to export Candidates from the CRM.

→ See 125 - User-Permissions for more information on the permissions required to export Candidates.

Can Candidates be Deleted?

Yes. You must have the appropriate permissions to delete Candidates.

→ See 904 - Delete-Candidate for instructions on how to delete Candidates from the CRM.

→ See 125 - User-Permissions for more information on the permissions required to delete Candidates.

What is the Candidate Activity Log?

The Candidate Activity Log is a single source of truth that tracks every activity associated with a Candidate in chronological order — with the most recent events displayed at the top. It stores the following events:

Profile Events

Profile was created manually by a Leadline user
Profile was created manually by a Leadline user via CSV import
Profile was created automatically when a candidate applied to a Position
Updates to the candidate's name, email address, or status
Phone number added, updated, or removed by a Leadline user
Tags added, updated, or removed by a Leadline user
Multiple changes made to the candidate profile in a single edit

Email Events

Automated emails sent via Workflow automations
Manual emails sent by Leadline users

Meeting Events

Candidate scheduled a meeting with a meeting host
Candidate rescheduled a meeting with a meeting host
Meeting host cancelled a meeting

SMS Text Events

Automated SMS texts sent via Workflow automations
Manual SMS texts sent by Leadline users
SMS texts received from the candidate

Submission Events

Submission created manually by a Leadline user
Submission created automatically when a candidate applied to a Position
Submission stage updated by a Leadline user (displayed as a nested event within the Submission event)
Submission deleted, archived, or unarchived by a Leadline user
Submission automatically archived due to the candidate's assigned status

File Events

Files automatically added via a Submission from the candidate
Files manually added by a Leadline user
Files deleted by a Leadline user

Note Events

Note added by a Leadline user
Note updated by a Leadline user

Integration Sync Events

Submission synced to a connected ATS by a Leadline user (via Workflow automation or manually)
Submission sync to ATS attempted but encountered an error
Employee profile created in a connected HRIS system by a Leadline user
Employee profile creation in HRIS attempted but encountered an error

→ See 120 - ATS-Integrations for more information on ATS integration events.

→ See 121 - HRIS-Integrations for more information on HRIS integration events.

→ See 113 - Workflows for more information on how Workflow automations generate activity log events.

Can You Sort or Filter Events in the Activity Log?

Yes. Activity log events can be filtered by event type or by date range.

→ See 905 - Filter-Candidate-Activity-Log-Events for instructions on how to filter the Candidate Activity Log by event type.

→ See 906 - Filter-Activity-Log-Dates for instructions on how to filter the Candidate Activity Log by date range.

What is Stored in the All Submissions Tab?

All Submissions associated with the Candidate across all Positions are stored in this tab. This is the primary function of the Candidate profile.

→ See 112 - Submissions for full product knowledge on Submissions.

What is Stored in the Text Messages Tab?

All SMS text messages sent to and received from the Candidate are stored in this tab — including both automated messages sent via Workflow automations and manual messages sent by Leadline users.

→ See 107 - Communications for more information on SMS communications.

→ See 1302 - Send-SMS-Text for instructions on how to send an SMS text to a Candidate.

What is Stored in the Emails Tab?

All email messages sent to the Candidate are stored in this tab — including both automated emails sent via Workflow automations and manual emails sent by Leadline users.

→ See 107 - Communications for more information on email communications.

→ See 1301 - Send-Email for instructions on how to send an email to a Candidate.

What is Stored in the Notes Tab?

Notes are internal memos created by Leadline users to capture important context about a candidate — such as interview impressions, follow-up reminders, or relevant details gathered outside of the platform. They are visible to all users who have access to the Candidate profile and are never shared with the candidate.

Each note supports up to 10,000 characters (including spaces) and can have one or more files associated with it. Files attached to a note are also stored in the candidate's Files tab. Rejection reasons logged when a Submission is moved to the Rejected stage are also stored in the Notes tab.

→ See 908 - Add-Note for instructions on how to add a note to a single Candidate profile or to multiple Candidate profiles at once via bulk action.

→ See 704 - Update-Submission-Stage for more information on rejection reasons and how they are logged.

What is Stored in the Files Tab?

All files associated with the Candidate are stored in the Files tab — whether they were automatically added via a Submission event (such as a resume upload from the Application Form) or manually added by a Leadline user.

→ See 909 - Add-Files for instructions on how to add Files to a Candidate's profile.

→ See 104 - Application-Form-Questions for more information on file upload question types in Application Forms.

What is Stored in the Links Tab?

Any relevant links associated with the Candidate are stored in the Links tab — for example, a LinkedIn profile link, portfolio website, or other external reference.

What Happens to a Candidate Profile if All Their Submissions are Deleted?

If all Submissions associated with a Candidate are deleted, the Candidate profile remains intact in the CRM. The candidate can still apply to a Position using the same email address and a new Submission will be created and linked to their existing profile.

Can a Candidate's Information Be Changed After Their Profile is Created?

Yes. A Candidate's name, email address, phone number, status, and tags can all be updated after the profile is created.

→ See 907 - Update-Candidate-Name for instructions on how to edit a Candidate's Name.

→ See 910 - Update-Candidate-Email for instructions on how to edit a Candidate's Email.

→ See 911 - Update-Candidate-Phone-Number for instructions on how to edit a Candidate's Phone Number.

→ See 912 - Update-Candidate-Status for instructions on how to edit a Candidate's Status.

→ See 913 - Update-Candidate-Tags for instructions on how to edit a Candidate's assigned Tags.

→ See 914 - Update-Candidate-Links for instructions on how to edit a Candidate's Links.

What Happens When a Candidate is Blocked?

If a Candidate is marked as "Blocked" in the CRM, they experience the same application process as any other candidate. However, once their Submission is submitted, it is automatically archived in the Position. This ensures that the candidate was able to apply, a record is kept for compliance purposes, and the unwanted Submission is immediately hidden from the active UI.

→ See 912 - Update-Candidate-Status for instructions on how to update a Candidate's status to Blocked.

→ See 708 - Archive-Submission for more information on archived Submissions.

→ See 905 - Filter-Candidate-Activity-Log-Events for instructions on how to filter Activity Log events.

106 - Channel-Tracking-Links — Understand how Candidates are automatically created when applying via Channel Tracking Links
107 - Communications — Learn about Leadline's communication capabilities for contacting Candidates
112 - Submissions — Understand how Submissions relate to Candidates and the Candidate profile
113 - Workflows — Learn how Workflow automations generate Candidate activity log events
117 - Incomplete-Submissions — Understand what happens when a candidate applies using a different unique identifier
120 - ATS-Integrations — Learn about ATS integration sync events stored in the Candidate Activity Log
121 - HRIS-Integrations — Learn about HRIS integration sync events stored in the Candidate Activity Log
125 - User-Permissions — Learn about the permissions required to view, export, delete, and manage Candidates
135 - Candidate-Views — Learn about Candidate Views and how to organize and filter your candidate database 102 - Admin-Hub — Learn how Candidate statuses and tags are configured by administrators
104 - Application-Form-Questions — Learn about file upload question types that automatically add files to Candidate profiles
704 - Update-Submission-Stage — Learn how rejection reasons are logged in the Candidate Notes tab
706 - Delete-Submission — Understand what happens to a Candidate profile when Submissions are deleted
708 - Archive-Submission — Learn how blocked Candidates have their Submissions automatically archived
701 - View-Submission — Learn about the Submission Response tab and its relationship to the Candidate Activity Log
101 - Platform-Links — Direct link to the CRM
901 - Create-Candidate — Instructions for manually creating a Candidate in the CRM
902 - View-Candidate-Profile — Instructions for accessing and managing individual Candidate profiles
903 - Export-Candidates — Instructions for exporting Candidates from the CRM
904 - Delete-Candidate — Instructions for deleting Candidates from the CRM
905 - Filter-Candidate-Activity-Log-Events — Instructions for filtering the Candidate Activity Log by event type
906 - Filter-Activity-Log-Dates — Instructions for filtering the Candidate Activity Log by date range
907 - Update-Candidate-Name — Instructions for updating a Candidate's name
908 - Add-Note — Instructions for adding notes to a Candidate profile
909 - Add-Files — Instructions for manually adding files to a Candidate profile
910 - Update-Candidate-Email — Instructions for updating a Candidate's email address
911 - Update-Candidate-Phone-Number — Instructions for updating a Candidate's phone number
912 - Update-Candidate-Status — Instructions for updating a Candidate's status
913 - Update-Candidate-Tags — Instructions for updating a Candidate's assigned tags
914 - Update-Candidate-Links — Instructions for updating a Candidate's links
1301 - Send-Email — Instructions for sending an email to a Candidate
1302 - Send-SMS-Text — Instructions for sending an SMS text to a Candidate