Sequences and outreach

This page shows you how to set up a sequence: a multi-step outreach plan your teammates carry out for you, day by day, with each message still gated by your approval.

In short

• A sequence is a plan with several steps — send a message, wait a few days, send a follow-up — that a teammate runs for you over time.
• You build it in CRM > Sequences: name it, add steps, pick the channel, and set how long to wait between them.
• Ask before sending is ON by default — every step in a sequence still waits in Needs attention until you approve it.
• When a prospect replies, the sequence pauses for that person automatically, so they don’t get the next scheduled message.
• You can let routine steps go out on their own later, one channel at a time — but that’s an advanced choice you turn on yourself.

What a sequence is

Think of a sequence like a recipe your teammate follows. Instead of you asking for one email at a time, you lay out the whole plan once — “say hello, wait three days, send a follow-up” — and a teammate works through it for each person you add. It runs on its own schedule, but it never gets ahead of you: each message still stops for your OK.

You’ll find sequences in CRM > Sequences in the left sidebar.

The Sequences page: your saved sequences on the left, the selected one's steps on the right.

The screen has three parts:

1. The list (left) — every sequence you’ve built, with its status (draft, active, paused) and how many steps it has.
2. The steps (right) — the selected sequence shown step by step, top to bottom.
3. The toolbar — New sequence, plus Activate / Pause, Enroll, and Edit for the one you’ve selected.

Build a sequence

Open Sequences and choose New sequence

Go to CRM > Sequences and click New sequence. Give it a clear name like Welcome new renovation leads and, if you like, a short description.

Naming a new sequence in the builder.

Add your steps

A sequence starts with a few example steps. Add more with Add email, Add wait, or Add branch, and label each one so you remember what it’s for. Use the arrows to reorder steps, or the bin to remove one.

Adding and labelling the steps of a sequence.

Pick the channel for each message step

Each message step has a channel — for example email. That’s how the teammate will reach the person when that step comes up.

A message step set to send by email.

Set the timing

A wait step is the gap between messages. Set it in days — wait 3 days — so your follow-ups feel natural and not pushy.

A wait step set to three days between messages.

Save, then add people

Save the sequence. To put a contact onto it, select the sequence and click Enroll, then pick the person. When you’re ready for it to run, click Activate.

Enrolling a contact and activating the sequence.

You’ll know it worked when the sequence shows active, your steps are listed in order, and the person you added appears under Enrollments.

Keep your first sequence short — a hello, a three-day wait, and one follow-up is plenty. You can always add steps once you see how it lands.

Your approval, every step of the way

A sequence never sends anything behind your back. When a step comes due, the message is drafted and lands in Needs attention for you to read and approve — exactly like a one-off send. The schedule just decides when a draft appears; you decide whether it goes out.

Ask before sending is ON; nothing goes out without your OK.

Your teammates also check each other’s work before calling it done, so what reaches you for approval has already been looked over once. To clear those drafts, see Approvals (Needs attention).

When someone replies

If a person you’ve enrolled replies to a message — by email, for example — the sequence pauses for that person automatically. They won’t get the next scheduled step, because now there’s a real conversation to have instead of another canned message. The reply shows up in Needs attention so you can pick it up.

A pause is per person, not for the whole sequence — everyone else you enrolled keeps moving through the steps as normal.

Good to know — letting routine steps go out on their own

Once you’ve approved the same kind of step many times and you trust a teammate with it, you can save a rule so similar sends go out automatically.

Advanced — beginners should leave this off. Auto-approve rules are set up in Settings, one channel at a time. A few things keep them safe:

• Every new rule starts switched off. You add it, then turn it on only when you’re ready.
• Preview first. Before you flip a rule on, you can see exactly how many waiting sends it would have approved — so there are no surprises.
• You can cap it. A rule only auto-approves up to the risk level you choose.
• Turning a rule off takes effect right away for anything not yet sent.

If you’re just getting started, leave every rule off and keep approving each step by hand — that’s the safe default.

What if it isn’t working?

If a sequence isn’t sending or a step isn’t appearing, check these in order:

1. Is the sequence active? A draft or paused sequence doesn’t run. Select it and click Activate.
2. Did you enroll anyone? A sequence with no one enrolled has nothing to do. Use Enroll to add a contact.
3. Is the step waiting on you? Open Needs attention — the next message may be drafted and waiting for your OK.
4. Did the person reply? A reply pauses the sequence for that person on purpose, so the next step won’t go out to them.
5. Give it a moment. Steps run on a schedule, so a just-added step or a fresh draft can take a little while to appear.

Still stuck? Head to Getting help and we’ll sort it out with you.

FAQ

Will a sequence send messages without asking me?

No. Ask before sending is ON by default, so every step waits in Needs attention for your OK. The schedule only decides when a draft appears — you decide whether it goes out.

What happens if someone replies to a sequence?

The sequence pauses for that person automatically — they won’t get the next scheduled message. Their reply lands in Needs attention so you can pick up the real conversation.

Can I change a sequence after it's running?

Yes. Select it and choose Edit to add, reorder, or remove steps. You can also Pause the whole sequence at any time and Activate it again later.

What's the difference between a sequence and just chatting?

A sequence is a saved, multi-step plan a teammate runs over time for many people. A chat is a one-off back-and-forth. For a quick single message, just ask a teammate in Chat (Conversation).

Should I set up auto-approve rules for my sequences?

Only if you’re comfortable, and only for routine, low-risk steps you’ve approved many times. Rules start switched off, you can preview them first, and you can cap how much they approve. Beginners are better off approving each step by hand.

Next steps

Approvals (Needs attention)

Where each step of your sequence waits for your OK before it sends.

Chat (Conversation)

For a one-off message, just ask a teammate instead of building a sequence.

Trust and safety

How approvals and peer review keep you in control of every send.

How work flows

You ask, a teammate works, a peer reviews, you give the final OK.