# Gates and Stages
You can use the Stage-Gate model within aqua's Project Planning module. It allows you to add specific stages to your plan and the corresponding gates to be passed through. In order to add a stage, you open an existing project plan and press the  button.
Now you are able to add a new stage by clicking on the arrow below the  button and select '*New Stage*'
A new stage will be added to your plan. Status is automatically set to 'Planned'. The status of a stage can differ between '*Planned*', ' *In Progress*' or '*Completed*'.
To add a new gate, you can proceed as described before, with the difference that you select 'New Gate' after clicking the New button.
A new gate will be added.
As you can see, stages and gates are highlighted differently in the table view as well as in the Gantt chart. A gate can have different checkpoints that need to be passed in order to pass the gate. To do so, right-click the gate and select edit. A window will open, where you have the possibility to add Checks.
To add a checkpoint, press '*Add*'. A new line will appear where you are able to give a name to the checkpoint. The checkbox allows setting it to done later on. The status of the gate will remain *Failed* until every checkpoint is marked as done.
Using the *Stage Gate Model* tab, you can also mark existing tasks as gate or stage. The task will then be marked accordingly in table and Gantt chart.
