# Create a sequence

URL: https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/sequences/create-a-sequence
Breadcrumbs: [Help](https://attio.com/help) > [Reference](https://attio.com/help/reference) > [Automations](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations) > [Sequences](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/sequences)

Automate your email outreach with personalized sequences.

> Available on pro, enterprise plans.
>
> **All members** can create sequences.

Sequences in Attio are automated, multi-step email campaigns. You can control timing, exit criteria, thread settings, and sender details, then draft steps using templates or AI. Once published, sequences can be launched from lists or records, with support for delegated sending.

## Sequences use cases

Attio’s email sequences are well suited for sending emails to existing customers or warm leads in cases where:

1. Recipients expect to receive the emails.
2. The messages are not transactional, meaning they're not emails sent automatically in response to an action or event (such as password resets or purchase confirmations).
3. It is appropriate to include an unsubscribe link, which is required for all sequence emails.

Keep in mind that Attio is not an email service provider (ESP). Attio sends all emails through your synced Gmail or Microsoft account.

Here are some examples of good use cases for Attio sequences:

- Nurturing inbound leads, where recipients are expecting the communication, and any individual sales rep is sending a low volume of emails
- Goal-oriented workflows, such as follow-up demo calls or inviting a customer to book time with their Customer Success Manager

Here are some examples of use cases where Attio sequences should not be used:

- Cold or high volume sales outreach
- Business transactional emails, such as payment confirmations, password resets, security alerts, etc.
- Email marketing

> **Note:** Attio integrates with other email automation and sales engagement tools such as [Outreach](https://attio.com/help/apps/automations-apps/outreach-app), [Mailchimp](https://attio.com/help/apps/automations-apps/mailchimp-app), and [Mixmax](https://attio.com/help/apps/automations-apps/mixmax-app), allowing you to consolidate and maintain a single source of truth for all your relationships within Attio.

## Create a new sequence

Before creating a new email sequence, ensure you're following [best practices for email deliverability](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/email-deliverability-guide) so that your emails can reach recipients' inboxes successfully.

> For a video walkthrough, see **Creating sequences** in Attio Academy.

Follow these steps to create a new sequence from scratch:

- Click **Sequences** in the left-hand sidebar.
- Select **New sequence** in the upper-right, or click the **⋮** icon to the right of an existing sequence and choose **Duplicate sequence** to start with a copy of it. Duplicating makes a copy of the emails and settings in the sequence, but does not duplicate recipients.
- Give the sequence a name where it says **Untitled Sequence** at the top of the right-hand sidebar, and a description below. Alternatively, an AI-generated name and description will populate automatically when the sequence is published.

> **Note:** Sequences are only available on Pro and Enterprise plans. [Learn more about plans and pricing](https://attio.com/pricing).

### Manage team member sequence access

To adjust team members' access to the sequence, click **Share** in the upper-right. [Learn more about managing access](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/manage-sequences#manage-sequence-member-access).

## Customize sequence settings

Configure additional settings that control how your sequence sends emails and how recipients interact with them. These include delivery timing, unsubscribe options, email threading, signatures, and exit criteria.

### Delivery window

Under **Delivery**, set the start and end times for the **Sending window**, and select a time zone. If you want emails to be sent 24 hours a day, simply set both the start and end times to 00:00. Enable the **Business days only** option to only send emails Monday-Friday, or disable it to include weekends. If enabled and a scheduled delay ends on a weekend, the email will be delayed until the next business day within your designated sending window. Holidays are not factored into business day calculations, so sequences will continue to run on holidays that fall on weekdays.

### Unsubscribe link

In the **Email** section under **Unsubscribe link**, select a phrase for the unsubscribe option shown at the bottom of your email. Hover over any option for a preview of the text that will be used in the email. The unsubscribe link text is available in English only.

When a recipient unsubscribes, they can no longer be enrolled in that sequence or any other sequence with the same sender.

![](https://a.storyblok.com/f/234930/1312x622/4ce4931c4d/unsubscribe-sequence-options.png)

### Thread replies

Under **Email**, enable the **Thread emails** toggle to send each email as a reply to the previous email sent in the sequence. When enabled, only the first email's subject line can be edited, and subsequent emails will use "RE: [previous subject line]".

### Include sender signature

Under **Email**, enable the **Include sender signature** toggle to include the [default signature](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#email-signatures) for the sender at the bottom of each email sent in the sequence.

![](https://a.storyblok.com/f/234930/846x410/7ff2ae1163/thread-signature-settings.png)

Sequences use [signatures set up in Attio](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#add-email-signatures), not signatures configured in Gmail or Microsoft 365. In the **Settings** tab, if **Mailbox** is set to **Default mailbox**, the sequence uses that mailbox’s [default signature](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#add-email-signatures). To use a different signature, select a specific **Mailbox** under **Sender settings**, then select a **Signature**.

When a sequence sends on a team member’s behalf using delegated sending, it uses the signature from that team member’s own sender settings.

![](https://a.storyblok.com/f/234930/2202x624/0a60c8ddbe/set-signature-sequence.png)

### Exit criteria

Exit criteria stop a recipient from receiving any further emails in the sequence.

Every sequence includes **Reply received**, which can't be removed. Click the **+** to also add **Meeting booked**.

- **Reply received:** The recipient exits when they reply to one of the sequence emails. The reply needs to come from the address that was enrolled and arrive on the same email thread Attio sent to. A message sent as a new email rather than a reply, or a reply from a different address, isn't matched to the sequence.
- **Meeting booked:** The recipient exits when a new calendar event is booked between them and the sender. A meeting booked with a different workspace member doesn't exit them.

Exits are processed shortly after Attio detects a qualifying reply or meeting, usually within a few minutes rather than instantly.

Video: https://vimeo.com/1030152771

## Add emails to sequence

After configuring settings, set up the emails in your sequence.

### Customize the sequence schedule

Each step in a sequence includes a delay that determines when the email is sent relative to the previous step.

First, choose when you want to send the first email. By default, it will be set to 0 days, meaning it will be sent the day a recipient is enrolled in the sequence (or within the next sending window). To customize, click **Start immediately after enrollment** and set the number of days to wait before sending the first email.

As you add emails to the sequence, you can customize the delay between emails by using the **Wait** button. Delays between emails must be a minimum of 1 day.

### Draft sequence emails

The first email appears on the sequence canvas. You can draft the email from scratch or insert one of your existing [email templates](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#email-templates). Follow [these guidelines on email content hygiene](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/email-deliverability-guide#email-content-hygiene) to help ensure your content supports strong email deliverability.

You can [format the email text](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#format-email-text) with bold, italics, strikethrough, links, and bulleted lists.

#### **Personalize emails with variables**

[Variables](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#using-variables) let you personalize emails for each recipient. Sequences support two types of variables:

- **Standard variables** insert existing data from object attributes, such as a name, company, or other record field.
- **AI variables** generate unique text for each recipient using AI.

Use a standard variable when you want to insert known data from a record. Use an AI variable when you want to generate customized content based on the recipient’s record and related data.

To add a standard variable, click **{x}** in the bottom left corner of the composer and select the attribute you want to insert. List attributes cannot be used as variables.

To add an AI variable, click the **sparkle icon** or type `/ai` in the composer, then provide a prompt describing the content you want generated. AI variables automatically have context from the recipient's record and its relationships. You can also include standard variables in your prompt to guide the generated text. The AI also considers the surrounding email content so the generated text fits naturally within the message. AI variables do not use [workspace credits](https://attio.com/help/reference/workspace-settings-billing/manage-workspace-and-seat-credits).

To set a fallback value for a standard variable, click the variable in your draft and enter the text you want to use if the attribute is empty when the email is sent. Select **Change variable** to choose a different attribute.

![Email composer in sequence with AI composer variable](https://a.storyblok.com/f/234930/1568x818/4431dc3a04/ai-variable-sequence.png)

#### **Add images and attachments**

In the bottom left corner of the composer:

- Click the **paperclip icon** to add an attachment.
- Click the **image icon** to insert an image.

#### **Add more emails to the sequence**

To add additional emails, click **Add step to sequence**. Compose all emails you want to include in your sequence, then move on to publishing. You will be able to add recipients after publishing.

Video: https://vimeo.com/1017683549

## Publish a sequence

If you have finished customizing your sequence, click **Publish sequence**. Once published, you will be able to enroll recipients and begin sending the emails.

## Enable delegated sending

Delegated sending lets a sequence send emails from a team member's address instead of your own. It's useful when one person builds and runs outreach on behalf of other team members.

Permission works differently here than elsewhere in Attio. Only the person who has synced a mailbox can enable delegated sending for that mailbox, and they must enable it for each sequence individually. Delegated sending works the same for admins and non-admin members.

### How delegated sending works

Before you can configure a sequence to send from a team member's address, all of the following need to be true:

- The team member has [synced their email](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/email-and-calendar-syncing) under their **Account settings**.
- The team member has enabled delegated sending for that specific sequence, either by turning the toggle on themselves or by accepting an invitation.
- You have [access to the sequence](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/sequences/manage-sequences#manage-access-to-sequences).

You then choose who the sequence sends as at the moment you enroll recipients, not in the sequence settings.

### Choose which of your mailboxes a sequence uses

**Sender settings** on the **Settings** tab sets your own sending for this sequence. It applies whenever you're the sender, whether you enrolled the recipients yourself or a team member enrolled them on your behalf.

- Open the sequence and click the **Settings** tab.
- Under **Sender settings**, click the **Mailbox** dropdown and select the address you want this sequence to send from.
- Select a **Signature** to use with that address.

While **Mailbox** is set to **Default mailbox**, the sequence sends from whichever address is your [default](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#set-default-sending-email) at the time each recipient is enrolled, using that mailbox's default signature.

> **Note:** The **Mailbox** dropdown lists only the addresses connected to your own account. Your team members' addresses don't appear here, even after they've enabled delegated sending. You choose which team member sends when you enroll recipients.

### Let others send from your email address

- Open the sequence and click the **Settings** tab.
- Under **Delegated sending**, turn **Enable delegated sending** on.
- Under **Sender settings**, use **Mailbox** to choose which of your own connected email addresses the sequence should use. Leave **Default mailbox** selected to use your default sending address.

![Delegated sending settings for sequence showing it's enabled and a pending invite](https://a.storyblok.com/f/234930/2200x1268/61eaa68fb5/delegated-sending.png)

Once the toggle is on, your name appears in the sender list and anyone with access to the sequence can select you as the sender when they enroll recipients. Emails send from the address you chose under **Sender settings**.

> **Note:** Turn this on for your own address before using a sequence in a workflow, even when you're the only sender. Without it, the **Enroll in sequence** block fails with "The provided sender has not enabled delegated sending."

### Ask a team member to let you send on their behalf

To request permission to send from a team member's email address:

- Open the sequence and click the **Settings** tab.
- Under **Delegated sending**, search for the team member by name or email.
- Click **Invite sender**.

Video: https://vimeo.com/1018796283

Attio sends them an in-app request and an email. Until they respond, they're listed as **Pending** under **Delegated sending**. After they accept, the **Pending** label is removed.

### Accept or deny a delegated sending request

When a team member requests delegated sending access, you can respond to the request from two places:

- Click **Notifications** in the sidebar, open the **Requests** tab, and click **Accept** or **Deny**.
- Or open the sequence, click the **Settings** tab, and click **Accept** or **Deny** in the banner at the top of the page.

When you accept a request, workspace members with access to the sequence can select you as the sender when they enroll recipients.

### Choose who the sequence sends as

Sender selection happens at enrollment, not in sequence settings. When you enroll recipients, choose **Sender**. The options include your own available email address and a list of team members who have enabled delegated sending for that sequence. See [Enroll recipients into the sequence](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/sequences/create-a-sequence#enroll-recipients-into-the-sequence).

Emails sent on a team member's behalf count toward [that team member's sending limits](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/email-outbox#email-sending-limits), not yours.

## Enroll recipients into the sequence

> For a video walkthrough, see **Enrolling recipients to sequences **in Attio Academy.

Before enrolling recipients, [ensure the validity of the email addresses](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/email-deliverability-guide#recipient-engagement-and-validity) in your list to support your email deliverability. Then, once a sequence has been published, there are a few ways you can enroll recipients:

- From the sequence itself, click **Enroll recipients** in the upper-right.
- From a person’s record page, click **Enroll in sequence** in the upper-right.
- From the page of any record that's linked to a person record via a relationship attribute, from a [relationship attribute tab](https://attio.com/help/reference/managing-your-data/records/configure-record-pages#manage-tabs), click the checkbox next to the person and click **Enroll in sequence**.
- From the **People** all records page or a list of people, select checkboxes next to people you want to enroll, then click **Enroll in sequence** at the bottom.
- [Create a workflow automation](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/workflows/create-a-workflow), and use the **[Enroll in sequence](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/workflows/workflows-block-library#enroll-in-sequence)**[ block](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/workflows/workflows-block-library#enroll-in-sequence) to automate adding people to a sequence when certain actions or criteria are met.

> **Note:** Up to 1,000 recipients can be enrolled at one time. Keep Attio's [email sending limits](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/email-outbox#email-sending-limits) in mind.

Video: https://vimeo.com/1018798591

When enrolling recipients manually, choose the **Sender**. Either select one of your own synced email addresses to send from, or send on behalf of a team member who has enabled delegated sending for the sequence. If you are on [Pro or Enterprise plans](https://attio.com/pricing), you can [sync more than one email](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/email-and-calendar-syncing) for use with Attio and designate which you want to use as your [default sending email](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#set-default-sending-email) in settings.

![](https://a.storyblok.com/f/234930/1286x660/64f1cadd18/sequence-sender.png)

For recipients with multiple emails, click their email under **Recipients** to choose the desired address. It will default to the [person's primary email](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#set-primary-email-for-recipient).

![](https://a.storyblok.com/f/234930/1213x644/3c597ba404/select-email-recipient.png)

Click any recipient to see a preview of the sequence with data from their record shown in place of any variables.

Recipients can be re-enrolled in a sequence, if needed. These recipients will receive the full version of the sequence that is published at the time that they are enrolled again.

## Edit a live sequence

You can update a live sequence and publish it as a new version. The version of the sequence that a recipient will receive depends on their enrollment date:

- New recipients enrolled after updates are published to a sequence will receive the latest published version.
- Recipients who are enrolled prior to updates being published will continue to receive the version that was active when they were enrolled. Edits made to a sequence will not impact existing recipients.

To revert unpublished changes, click **Discard changes**.

## Track status of recipients

To view recipients and the status of emails sent from the sequence, see the [Track status of sequence recipients](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/track-status-of-sequence-recipients) article.

## FAQ

### How can I track sequence enrollment on people records? 

You can track which sequences a person has been enrolled in by using a custom attribute combined with a workflow automation. First, create a [custom attribute](https://attio.com/help/reference/managing-your-data/attributes/create-manage-attributes) on the People object that will store the names of all sequences a person has been enrolled in. We recommend using a multi-select attribute type, which allows you to track multiple sequence enrollments for a single person.

Second, set up a workflow that automatically enrolls people records into your sequence and updates the custom attribute with the sequence name. This workflow requires three essential blocks:

1. [Trigger block](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/workflows/workflows-block-library#trigger-blocks): Select a trigger that matches your enrollment criteria (the specific trigger will depend on your use case)
2. [Enroll in a sequence block](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/workflows/workflows-block-library#enroll-in-sequence): Adds the person to your desired sequence
3. [Create or update record block](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/workflows/workflows-block-library#create-or-update-record): Sets the custom attribute value to the name of the sequence the person was just enrolled in

This approach creates an automatic record of sequence enrollment history that you can reference for segmentation, reporting, or support purposes.

### Why am I required to include an unsubscribe link?

This is to protect the deliverability of your emails and to give your recipients flexibility. [Learn more about email deliverability](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/email-deliverability-guide).

### How do I set up custom calendar links for my sales team members?

You can do this in two ways:

- **Create separate sequences:** [Duplicate the sequence](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/sequences/create-a-sequence#create-a-new-sequence) and add each team member’s calendar link in the email body.
- **Use email signatures:** Have each team member add their calendar link to their [Attio email signature](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#add-email-signatures). Then [enable signatures](https://attio.com/help/reference/automations/sequences/create-a-sequence#include-sender-signature) in the sequence so the sender's link is included automatically, without needing multiple sequences.

### Why isn't my email signature being added to emails sent from a sequence?

First, ensure you've set up your email signature in Attio by [following these steps](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#email-signatures). Sequences don't use the signature configured in Gmail or Microsoft 365. Then, ensure the **Include sender signature** toggle is enabled in the sequence settings.

If the sequence sends on a team member's behalf, the signature comes from their **Sender settings**, not yours. Ask them to set a signature on the mailbox they're sending from.

If you can't find the **Signature** option, select a specific **Mailbox** under **Sender settings** first. It doesn't appear while **Mailbox** is set to **Default mailbox**.

### What happens if an email sent from a sequence bounces?

Any email that hard bounces will be automatically added to the **[Unsubscribes](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/manage-sequences#unsubscribes)**[ list](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/manage-sequences#unsubscribes).

If you have verified it is a valid email address, you can remove the email from the unsubscribe list, but it is recommended to be very cautious as hard bounces can have a significant negative impact on your [deliverability](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/email-deliverability-guide).

[Learn more about understanding email bounces](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/understanding-email-bounces).

### Why don't I have any options for "Sender"?

First, ensure you have synced your email with Attio. If you have very recently synced your email for the first time, wait 10 to 15 minutes after it has finished syncing, and then your email should show as a sender option.

If you can see yourself but not a team member, they haven't enabled delegated sending for this sequence yet. Open the sequence, click the **Settings** tab, and check whether they're listed under **Delegated sending**. A **Pending** badge means they've been invited but haven't accepted.

### How can I view the status of queued emails?

Attio uses sending limits to automatically space out email sends to [protect your deliverability](https://attio.com/help/reference/integrations-automations/sequences/email-deliverability-guide). Whether you're sending a single email, mass sending emails, or using a sequence, emails are queued in your **[Outbox](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/email-outbox)**.

### With the "Meeting booked" exit criteria, what if a meeting already exists or is rescheduled?

With the **Meeting booked** exit criteria, if a meeting was already scheduled at the time a recipient were enrolled, they won't be exited from the sequence, but if you reschedule a past meeting for the future while they are enrolled, that will cause them to be exited.

### How do I resolve the "[Object] records or list entries cannot be enrolled into a sequence" error in workflows?

This error occurs when the **Enroll in sequence** block receives something other than a person record for the **Recipient** input. Sequences can only include people records, so you’ll need to make sure the input you’re using points to a person record.

**Key things to know**

- **List entries vs. parent records**  
  A **record** is the company, person, deal, or other object itself, along with its object attributes. A **list entry** is that record’s instance within a list, with its own list-specific attributes.  
  Since a record can appear in a list multiple times, workflows that require a record must reference the parent record, not the list entry.
- **Working with non-person objects**  
  Only people can be added to sequences. If your workflow is built around another object type (such as companies or deals), you’ll need to reference a related person through a relationship attribute.
- **Relationship attributes that include multiple people**  
  Some relationship attributes, like Team or Associated people, can contain more than one person. If you want to add all related people to a sequence, use a **Loop** block, and place the **Enroll in sequence** block inside the loop to process each person individually.

**How to fix it**

The solution depends on what your workflow is using as input:

- **List of people**  
  When working with a list of people (for example, a **List entry command** or **Record added to list** trigger), select  
  `Entry > Parent record > Parent record` for the **Recipient** input.
- **Object other than people**  
  If the workflow is based on a different object type, provide the related person through a relationship attribute. For example:  
  `Record > Associated people > Associated people`
- **List of an object other than people**  
  For lists based on non-person objects, use:  
  `Entry > Parent record > [Relationship attribute connecting to people] > [Relationship attribute connecting to people]`

### Can I cc or bcc people on sequences?

Adding people in cc or bcc is not currently supported for sequences, though it is possible for one-off emails and [mass sending](https://attio.com/help/reference/email-calendar/send-emails-in-attio#mass-send-an-email-from-a-list-or-view).

### Can I cancel or resend a delegated sending invitation?

Not currently. An invitation stays **Pending** until the person accepts or denies it. If they can't find the email, ask them to open **Notifications** > **Requests** in Attio, where they can click **Accept** or **Deny**. They can also open the sequence directly, click the **Settings** tab, and respond from the request banner at the top of the page.

### Does making someone an admin let me send from their address?

No. Admin access and delegated sending are separate. Admin access controls what a person can see and configure in **Workspace settings**. Delegated sending is granted per sequence by the mailbox owner, and only they can grant it.