title: "Build An Automation Sequence"
Build An Automation Sequence
Create a short automation to welcome new leads, follow up, and surface engaged contacts for sales.
Step 1: Open the Automations editor
- Instruction: Go to Automations → Create New to open the automation builder.
- Expected: The automation canvas appears with options for triggers and actions.
- Why it matters: The editor is where you define event-driven workflows that scale outreach.
- Troubleshooting: If the editor doesn’t load, confirm you have Editor/Admin permissions.
Step 2: Choose a trigger
- Instruction: Select a trigger like Form Submitted, New Contact Added, or Pipeline Stage Change.
- Expected: The trigger is placed at the start of the automation timeline.
- Why it matters: Triggers determine when the automation runs and which contacts enter the flow.
- Troubleshooting: Ensure the selected event is firing for sample contacts when testing.
Step 3: Add a welcome email
- Instruction: Add an Email action, write a concise subject and body, and use personalization tokens such as
{{first_name}}. - Expected: The email action appears in the timeline and is ready to send.
- Why it matters: A timely welcome email increases engagement and sets expectations.
- Troubleshooting: Test the email with a sandbox contact to confirm rendering and links.
Step 4: Insert a delay
- Instruction: Add a Delay step (e.g., 1 day) after the welcome email to space follow-ups.
- Expected: The timeline shows the delay and subsequent steps follow after it.
- Why it matters: Proper pacing avoids overwhelming contacts while keeping momentum.
- Troubleshooting: If follow-ups happen too soon, confirm the delay unit (hours vs days).
Step 5: Add SMS or task reminders
- Instruction: Add an SMS action for short follow-ups or a Task action to prompt internal follow-up.
- Expected: SMS messages are queued after the delay and tasks are created for owners.
- Why it matters: Multi-channel follow-ups and tasks increase response rates and team accountability.
- Troubleshooting: Verify SMS provider setup and ensure recipients have opted in.
Step 6: Mark conversions
- Instruction: Add a Tag or Goal action when contacts click links or convert to mark them as Engaged.
- Expected: Engaged contacts receive the tag and are filterable in the CRM.
- Why it matters: Tagging helps prioritize leads for sales outreach.
- Troubleshooting: Check that event conditions (click/goal) are configured correctly in the action.
Step 7: Test and activate
- Instruction: Use a test contact to run through the automation and confirm all actions execute. Then Activate the automation.
- Expected: The test contact moves through the steps and receives messages/tasks as configured.
- Why it matters: Testing prevents misfires and ensures communications are correct.
- Troubleshooting: If steps fail, review the automation history and action logs for errors.
What success looks like
- Test contacts receive timely emails/SMS and tasks are created for owners.
- Engaged contacts are tagged and easily surfaced for sales follow-up.