How to Use Folk 2026: The Best CRM for Networking & Outreach

Quick Start

This guide covers every Folk feature:

• Getting Started — Create your account and connect your data
• How to Use Sales Pipeline — Drag deals through stages and see your whole book of business at a glance
• How to Use Leads Tracking — Track each lead’s source, status, and next action in one view
• How to Use Company Management — Roll individual contacts up into a company view with shared notes
• How to Use Client Management — Track live clients, renewals, and check-in cadence after the sale
• How to Use Email Funnels — Build multi-step email sequences with real personalization
• How to Use Social Selling — Capture social conversations as CRM activity you can act on
• How to Use Partnership Manager — Manage partners and referral sources beside your direct deals
• How to Use LinkedIn Extension — Capture contacts straight from LinkedIn with the folkX extension
• How to Use Pipeline Management — Forecast, review, and clean up pipelines as a team

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I moved my own contacts into Folk eleven months ago and have tested every feature since. This tutorial comes from daily use, not vendor screenshots.

Folk is one of the most approachable CRM tools in the world of modern sales software.

But most people only scratch the surface of what the app can do.

A quick note before we start: folk music has nothing to do with this tool, despite the shared name.

This guide shows you how to use every major feature, step by step, with pro tips.

Folk exists for building real relationships at scale, not for logging admin stuff.

Folk Tutorial

This complete How to Use Folk tutorial walks you through every feature, from first setup to the habits that turn a contact list into real pipeline.

Folk

Stop losing deals inside a messy contact list. Folk keeps clients, leads, and partners in a single place with enrichment, sequences, and LinkedIn capture built in. Free trial, no credit card needed.

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Getting Started with Folk

Before touching any feature, finish this one-time setup.

It takes about three minutes.

Here is how the app looked when I first decided to switch:

Now let’s walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to the Folk website and click Start Free Trial.

Enter your work email and create a password.

✓ Checkpoint: Check your inbox for the confirmation email.

Step 2: Connect Google or Outlook

Folk runs in the browser and as a desktop app.

Connect your Google or Microsoft account so email, calendar, and contacts sync automatically.

Here is what that connected workspace looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Past emails and meetings now appear on each contact record.

Step 3: Import Contacts and Set Custom Fields

Upload a CSV or pull contacts from Google, then add the custom fields your business needs.

Two or three fields is plenty at the start.

How to Use Folk Sales Pipeline

Sales Pipeline lets you see every open deal on one board instead of guessing what moves next.

Most teams over-build this on day one. Start with the four stages you actually talk about in meetings, then add more once real deals expose the gaps.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create your first pipeline

Open the Pipelines tab and click New Pipeline.

Name it after the deal type you sell, not the team that owns it.

Step 2: Set your stages

Rename the default stages to match the process you already run.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Every stage shows a deal count and a running total.

Step 3: Add deals and set values

Drop contacts into the first stage and add deal size plus close date.

How to Use Folk Leads Tracker

Leads Tracking lets you follow every new lead from first touch to first reply without losing the thread.

Tagging by source is the part people skip. Without it you cannot tell which channel produced the deals you closed, and budget decisions turn into guesswork.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Import or capture your leads

Upload a CSV, connect a form, or capture leads with the folkX extension.

Folk deduplicates on email so repeat sign-ups never create clutter.

Step 2: Tag by source and intent

Add tags like webinar, referral, or cold list to each new record.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your leads view groups records by source with owners attached.

Step 3: Set the next action

Assign an owner and a due date so nothing sits untouched.

How to Use Folk Company Manager

Company Management lets you group every contact at a company under one record with shared history.

A company record is where scattered details become one story. When a champion leaves, the history stays with the account instead of walking out with them.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create the company record

Add the company name and domain, then let Folk enrich the rest.

Built-in enrichment pulls headcount and industry without extra add-ons.

Step 2: Link the people

Attach every contact at that company so the group stays together.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Opening the company shows all linked people and shared notes.

Step 3: Add account context

Note the buying committee, renewal date, and current blockers.

How to Use Folk Client Manager

Client Management lets you keep post-sale clients from drifting once the deal closes.

Churn rarely announces itself. A client who has not been contacted in 90 days is the clearest early warning signal any CRM can give you.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Move closed deals into a client group

Create a group called Active Clients and move won deals into it.

Step 2: Set a check-in cadence

Add a recurring reminder for monthly or quarterly calls.

Reminders show in your Folk notifications and your calendar.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Each client shows a last-contacted date and a next scheduled touch.

Step 3: Log every interaction

Record calls, meetings, and emails against the client record.

Logged interactions preserve context that memory quietly loses.

How to Use Folk Email Funnels

Email Funnels lets you send a personalized outreach sequence at scale without sounding automated.

Templates only work when the variables are filled. Run a quick audit for blank merge fields before launch, or a prospect gets an email addressed to nobody.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Build your sequence

Open Sequences and add your first email plus two follow ups.

Space steps three to four days apart for cold outreach.

Step 2: Add merge fields

Pull in first name, company, and any custom fields you have filled.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Sent, opened, and replied counts update on the sequence dashboard.

Step 3: Launch and watch replies

Select a group, start the sequence, and let replies pause it automatically.

How to Use Folk Social Seller

Social Selling lets you turn everyday social activity into tracked pipeline instead of scattered chats.

Social selling fails when it lives only in your head. Logging the thread means a teammate can pick up the conversation without asking you what happened.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Connect your social accounts

Link LinkedIn and your email so touches log automatically.

Step 2: Log conversations as you go

Add a note the moment a comment thread turns into real interest.

The Folk sales assistant suggests a next step based on that context.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Social contacts appear in your pipeline with conversation history.

Step 3: Convert warm chats to deals

Move engaged contacts into your pipeline with a source tag.

How to Use Folk Partnership Manager

Partnership Manager lets you track partners, referrals, and the introduction chain behind each deal.

A warm introduction closes faster than any cold sequence. Recording the chain lets you thank the right person and ask them again at the right point.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create a partners group

Group agencies, resellers, and advisors separately from customers.

Step 2: Record who introduced whom

Link each referred contact back to the partner who sent them.

This is where a single source of truth pays for itself.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Filtering by partner-sourced shows referred deals and their values.

Step 3: Track partner-sourced revenue

Tag those deals so you can report partner contribution monthly.

How to Use Folk LinkedIn Extension

LinkedIn Extension lets you add a prospect’s LinkedIn profile to your CRM in a single click.

The extension also works on search results and company pages, so an entire target list can be captured in one sitting without touching a spreadsheet.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Install folkX from the Chrome store

Add the extension and sign in with your Folk account.

Step 2: Capture from any profile

Open a prospect’s LinkedIn page and click the folkX icon.

Name, role, and company import automatically into your chosen group.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The new contact appears in Folk with the LinkedIn URL attached.

Step 3: Enrich before you save

Let Folk find the work email and fill missing details.

How to Use Folk Pipeline Manager

Pipeline Management lets you run weekly reviews on shared pipelines your whole team can see.

The beauty is that your calendar and pipeline stay integrated, so insights surface during the review itself. Tie it to a fixed meeting slot and the data stays current.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Share the pipeline with your team

Invite teammates and set role-based permissions per pipeline.

Step 2: Run a weekly review view

Sort by close date to see what lands this month.

Anything with a past close date needs a decision, not a nudge.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your forecast total matches the deals you would defend out loud.

Step 3: Archive dead deals honestly

Move stalled deals out so your forecast stays believable.

Folk Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After eleven months of daily use, here are the shortcuts and habits that made my week more efficient.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• Smart fields: Let Folk fill company size and industry automatically instead of typing them by hand.
• Saved views: Build one view for stale leads and pin it. It becomes your Monday planning list.
• Integration capabilities: Folk connects to Gmail, Slack, and thousands of apps through Zapier, so data flows without manual export.
• Group templates: Duplicate a group structure for a new market and keep your fields consistent.

Folk Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Importing everything at once

Mistake #2: Treating Folk like a spreadsheet

Mistake #3: Automating before personalizing

Folk Troubleshooting

Problem: Email sync stopped working

Cause: Your Google or Microsoft token expired after a password change.

Fix: Open Settings, disconnect the mailbox, then reconnect and grant calendar access again.

Problem: The folkX extension is not capturing

Cause: LinkedIn changed its page layout or you are signed into the wrong Folk workspace.

Fix: Update the extension in Chrome, refresh the profile page, and confirm your active workspace.

Problem: Duplicate contacts keep appearing

Cause: The same person was imported under two different email addresses.

Fix: Use the merge tool in the contacts view and set email as your matching key going forward.

Problem: Sequence emails land in spam

Cause: A new sending domain with no warmup history.

Fix: Send under fifty emails daily for two weeks and add a plain-text signature.

📌 Note: If none of these fix your issue, contact Folk support from inside the app.

What is Folk?

Folk is a CRM built around contacts and relationships rather than deals and transactions alone.

Think of it as a shared address book with a memory, a pipeline, and an outbox attached.

It became my single source of truth for every client, lead, and partner conversation.

Watch this quick overview:

It includes these key features:

• Sales Pipeline: A visual board where deals move stage by stage
• Leads Tracking: Source, status, and next step for every inbound lead
• Company Management: One record per company, with all its people attached
• Client Management: Renewals, check-ins, and health for existing clients
• Email Funnels: Automated follow ups that still read as human
• Social Selling: Social touches logged as real pipeline activity
• Partnership Manager: Partner records, referral tracking, and intro history
• LinkedIn Extension: One-click contact capture from LinkedIn profiles
• Pipeline Management: Shared pipelines, forecasting, and weekly review views

For a full review, see our Folk review.

The interface resembles a familiar spreadsheet, which is why teams adopt it without training.

Folk Pricing

Here is what Folk costs in 2026:

Free trial: Yes, with no credit card required at sign-up.

Money-back guarantee: No formal guarantee, but annual plans can be cancelled before renewal.

Pricing is per member, so a three-person team on Standard pays $52.5 each month.

💰 Best Value: Premium — shared pipelines and email sequences live here, and that is where most teams get their time back.

Folk vs Alternatives

How does Folk compare against the rest of the CRM industry? Here is the competitive landscape.

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Folk — the fastest way to connect contacts, notes, and pipeline in one app.
• Best budget: Capsule CRM — the cheapest way to track contacts and tasks.
• Best for beginners: Folk — a spreadsheet-style form that needs no training.
• Best for enterprise sales: Salesforce — deeper reporting once your team passes fifty reps.

🎯 Folk Alternatives

Looking for Folk alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🚀 GoHighLevel: All-in-one agency platform with funnels, SMS, and white labeling built in.
• 🌟 Pipedrive: Deal-first CRM with the cleanest visual pipeline in the industry.
• ⚡ Keap: Small business automation with invoicing and marketing under one roof.
• 🏢 HubSpot: Free tier plus deep marketing tools, though costs climb quickly with scale.
• 🎨 ClickFunnels: Landing page and funnel builder rather than a true relationship CRM.
• 💼 Instantly: Cold email at volume with inbox rotation and deliverability warmup.
• 🔧 ClickUp: Project management first, with CRM views bolted on through custom fields.
• 📊 Monday CRM: Colorful boards and workflows that non-sales teams pick up fast.
• 👶 Capsule CRM: Simple, affordable contact management for very small teams.
• 🎯 Insightly: CRM plus project delivery, useful when sales hands off to services.
• 🧠 Freshsales CRM: Built-in AI scoring and phone calls inside an affordable package.
• 🔒 Salesforce: Endlessly configurable enterprise standard with matching cost and setup time.
• 💰 Zendesk: Support-led platform where sales sits beside ticketing and live chat.

For the full list, see our Folk alternatives guide.

⚔️ Folk Compared

Here is how Folk stacks up against each competitor:

• Folk vs GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel wins for agencies reselling marketing. Folk wins for relationship-led sales teams that want a clean contact database.
• Folk vs Pipedrive: Pipedrive is deal-centric. Folk is contact-centric, which suits founders selling on relationships rather than volume.
• Folk vs Keap: Keap bundles billing and marketing. Folk stays lighter and far faster to set up.
• Folk vs HubSpot: HubSpot offers more modules. Folk costs less and avoids the admin overhead most small teams never need.
• Folk vs ClickFunnels: ClickFunnels builds pages. Folk manages the people who fill them in, so the two work together.
• Folk vs Instantly: Instantly sends more cold volume. Folk sends fewer, better emails tied to real contact history.
• Folk vs ClickUp: ClickUp manages projects better. Folk manages relationships better, and the difference shows within a month.
• Folk vs Monday CRM: Monday is stronger for cross-team workflows. Folk is stronger for pure sales and outreach work.
• Folk vs Capsule CRM: Capsule is cheaper at entry. Folk offers better enrichment, sequences, and LinkedIn capture.
• Folk vs Insightly: Insightly adds project delivery. Folk keeps the focus on pipeline and outreach instead.
• Folk vs Freshsales CRM: Freshsales includes calling. Folk offers a simpler interface and quicker onboarding for small teams.
• Folk vs Salesforce: Salesforce scales to enterprise. Folk gets a modern team running the same week without a consultant.
• Folk vs Zendesk: Zendesk suits support-heavy businesses. Folk suits teams whose growth depends on outbound relationships.

Start Using Folk Now

You learned how to use every major Folk feature:

• ✅ Sales Pipeline
• ✅ Leads Tracking
• ✅ Company Management
• ✅ Client Management
• ✅ Email Funnels
• ✅ Social Selling
• ✅ Partnership Manager
• ✅ LinkedIn Extension
• ✅ Pipeline Management

Next step: Pick one feature and try it today.

Most people start with Sales Pipeline.

It takes less than five minutes to sell yourself on the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is folk CRM?

Folk is a lightweight CRM built around contacts and relationships rather than deals alone. It combines enrichment, sequences, and LinkedIn capture in one place.

Is folk a good CRM?

Yes, for small and modern sales teams. Folk is quick to set up, easy to learn, and strong on outreach, though enterprise reporting is thinner than Salesforce.

Is Folk CRM related to folk music?

No. Despite the shared name, folk music has nothing to do with this app. Folk is a business tool for managing contacts, pipeline, and outreach.

Does Folk have a LinkedIn integration?

Yes. The folkX Chrome extension captures any prospect’s LinkedIn profile in one click and imports name, role, and company into your chosen group.

How much does Folk cost?

Folk starts at $17.5 per member per month on Standard. Premium is $35 and Custom is $70 per member monthly, billed per seat.