How do I use email sequences?

A sequence is a series of emails: an initial message plus automatic follow-ups sent to each lead over time. The Visual Builder lets you design that sequence as a clear top-to-bottom flow, where you can drag steps to reorder them, click any step to edit it, and see the full journey at a glance.

Creating a sequence

  1. Go to Outreach > Sequences, or open it directly here.
  2. Click New Contact Sequence.
  3. Add a Title and a short Description for your own reference.
  4. Click the first email step to start writing.

You will build the sequence as a vertical timeline: Step 1 is the first email, and follow-up steps appear below it with a wait time before each one sends.

Building a step

Click any step to open the editor. From there, you can set:

  • Copy from template — optionally start from a saved email template instead of a blank message.
  • Email subject — the subject line for that step.
  • Email body — the message content. Use the Insert Email Tags menu to personalize with variables like {First Name}, {Business Name}, {Website}, and {Email}.
  • Spintax — use syntax like {{RANDOM:Hi|Hello|Hey}} to rotate wording automatically.
  • AI rewrite instructions — optionally tell AI how to rewrite the subject or body when the email sends, such as make it more casual.

Every step needs an email body. The first step also needs a subject. Click Save step when you are done editing.

Tip: Keep each email short and conversational. Personalized, human-sounding messages usually perform better than long sales emails, and they are less likely to trigger spam filters.

Reordering steps

Use the handle on the left side of a step to drag it up or down. The step numbers and wait timings update automatically after you reorder the sequence.

You can also duplicate a step to reuse its content, or delete a step using the icons on the step card.

Scheduling follow-ups

Every step after the first has a trigger that controls when it sends. Open a follow-up step and set:

  • Wait — how long to wait after the trigger step, such as 2 days later.
  • After step — which earlier step this follow-up is based on.
  • Condition — optionally send only when the trigger step receives a specific reaction.

Available conditions include:

  • No condition — always send after the wait time.
  • Did not open
  • Opened
  • Opened but did not reply
  • Opened but did not click a link
  • Opened and clicked a link

This lets you branch your outreach. For example, you can send one follow-up to people who opened but did not reply, and a different follow-up to people who never opened the first message.

For more detail on how conditional follow-ups are chosen when multiple rules could apply, see How are sequences prioritized?

Threaded follow-ups

Follow-ups often perform better when they arrive as a reply in the same email thread as the first message instead of as separate emails.

To send a follow-up in the same thread, leave that follow-up step's subject empty. LeadSwift will automatically:

  • reuse the first email's subject, and
  • send the follow-up as a reply in the same conversation.

You will see a Reply in same thread note on any step where the subject is left blank.

Tip: Threaded follow-ups look more like a natural conversation, which can improve reply rates and deliverability. If you want a follow-up to start a fresh thread, give that step its own subject.

Automatic stops

Sequences automatically stop following up when a lead should no longer receive more emails:

  • When a lead replies, their remaining follow-ups are paused automatically.
  • When a lead unsubscribes, they are removed from the sequence.

An unsubscribe link is added to every email automatically, so leads always have a way to opt out.

Saving and using your sequence

  1. Click Save sequence at the top or bottom of the builder.
  2. Start an email campaign and choose the sequence you created.
  3. Select your lead list and sending accounts, then launch the campaign.

You can edit a sequence anytime from Outreach > Sequences > Edit. Changes apply to future sends.

Tips for better sequences

  • Start with 3–5 steps. An initial email plus a few spaced-out follow-ups is usually enough.
  • Space follow-ups out. Give leads a few days between emails so you are persistent without being pushy.
  • Vary your angle. Use a new hook, a quick case study, a different pain point, or a short check-in.
  • Use threading. Leave follow-up subjects empty when you want the sequence to read as one conversation.
  • Enable Warmup first. Even a strong sequence will underperform if your emails land in spam. See the Email Warmup guide for setup details.
Important: Avoid sending too many steps too quickly. Aggressive follow-up timing can hurt reply rates and deliverability.

FAQ

Do I have to write a subject for every follow-up?
No. Leave a follow-up subject empty to send it as a reply in the same thread using the first email's subject. Only the first step requires a subject.

Can I reorder steps after building the sequence?
Yes. Drag any step by its handle. Timings and step numbers update automatically.

What happens if someone replies in the middle of a sequence?
Their remaining follow-ups stop automatically, so they will not keep receiving follow-ups after responding.

Will my leads see an unsubscribe link?
Yes. An unsubscribe link is added to every email automatically, and anyone who unsubscribes is removed from the sequence.

Can I personalize each email?
Yes. Use the Insert Email Tags menu for merge variables, spintax for wording variation, and optional AI rewrite instructions for each step.

Starting from a template

Instead of starting from a blank sequence, you can load a ready-made one and edit the wording to match your offer.

To use:

1. Go to Outreach › Sequences and create or edit a sequence

2. Press the "Templates" button at the top of the page

3. Browse the templates. Each one lists its steps and when they are sent, and "Preview" shows every email in full

4. Press "Use template" on the one you want

These templates are available:

  • Website refresh for local businesses — offers a free list of quick website fixes, with two follow-ups
  • More Google reviews — pitches a simple review-request system
  • Google Maps visibility (local SEO) — leads with a free check of how the business shows up in local search
  • Book a call (4 steps) — a general outreach sequence that asks for a short call
  • Re-engage quiet leads — a short, low-pressure check-in for leads who never replied

Templates already include your personalization tags, such as {First Name|there} and {Business Name}, and vary the greeting with spintax. Follow-ups are sent as replies in the same thread.

Important: Using a template replaces every step currently in the builder, and you will be asked to confirm first. Nothing is saved until you press "Save sequence", so read and adjust each email before saving.

Waiting hours or minutes between steps

Follow-ups don't have to wait whole days. Each step can wait a number of days, hours or minutes after the step before it.

To use:

1. Open a step in the sequence builder

2. Next to "Wait", enter a number and choose days, hours or minutes

3. Press "Save" on the step, then save the sequence

A step can wait up to 15 days (360 hours, or 21,600 minutes).

Important: A step that depends on whether the previous email was opened or clicked needs a wait of at least 1 hour, so there is time for the lead to open it first. Very short waits are best kept for follow-ups that don't depend on the lead's activity.

Cleaning up pasted formatting

Text copied from Word, Google Docs or a web page often carries hidden fonts, colours and spacing. That makes an email look inconsistent and can hurt deliverability.

Press "Clean formatting" in the email editor. It is available in the sequence builder and in Outreach › Templates.

It removes the hidden styling and keeps what matters: your text, links, bold and italic text, lists and images. Personalization tags, spintax and preheader text are left untouched, and extra blank lines are tidied up.