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Build and launch

Launch an outbound campaign

Workflow Reviewed · not yet fact-checked

In short

How do I launch an outbound campaign in Reply?

Connect a corporate mailbox, import contacts, create a sequence from template, scratch, Magic, or Jason AI SDR, then finish the settings: sending accounts, schedule, daily limits, replies handling, and tracking. Send a test email, check Preview per recipient, and launch; the first mailbox you add becomes the default sender.

At a glance

AspectDetail
OutcomeA live sequence sending to enrolled contacts inside safe limits, on a schedule, with replies stopping contacts
Required objectsA connected email account, contacts, a sequence with steps, a schedule
SurfacesUI · REST API · MCP
Key limitMax new daily contacts overrides Max number of emails per day; the emails-per-day setting caps first-step emails at up to 10,000
Stops onReplies (under Mark as finished), closed schedule windows, reached limits, disconnected accounts — the toggle color reports which
Does notWrite the copy or pick the audience — you supply both; a mailbox is optional for creating a sequence but mandatory for launching email campaigns
PlansJason AI SDR sequences require an AI SDR plan; other creation options are standard

Goal

A live sequence sending to a prepared audience, inside safe limits, with replies detected and outreach stopping per contact. ("Campaign" is the former name for a sequence.)

When to use this workflow

The list is ready and the message is decided — this is the execution slice. For AI-generated sequences, start from Build an AI SDR instead.

What Reply provides

Mailbox connection for Gmail, Outlook/Office 365, Exchange, and other IMAP/SMTP providers; four sequence creation paths (Template, Scratch, Magic, Jason AI SDR); step types across email, calls, SMS, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Zapier, tasks, and conditions; schedules with timezone and holiday control; daily-limit throttling; replies handling; deliverability settings; per-recipient preview and test emails.

What you must provide

The audience, the copy, and the go decision — plus a corporate (not generic) sending domain.

Preconditions

A connected, tested email account — the first mailbox you add becomes the default and is added to your sequences automatically; an imported, validated audience; sequence content.

Flow

connect mailbox → import contacts → create sequence (+ steps)
    → assign accounts → attach schedule → set limits + replies handling
    → deliverability settings → test email + preview → launch → verify

Step-by-step

  1. Connect the mailbox. Settings → Email Accounts → New email account; pick the provider and continue. Gmail and Outlook/Office 365 offer single-click connection (IMAP must be enabled); Exchange and other providers connect with manual IMAP/SMTP settings. Use the Test buttons and confirm the green dot for both sending and receiving. See Connect a mailbox.
  2. Import the contacts. Upload a CSV into the sequence's People tab or add from existing — the import rules and deduplication apply on entry.
  3. Create the sequence. Four options: From Template (Reply's library or team templates), From Scratch, From Magic (AI shapes the sequence from a prompt), or Jason AI SDR (AI SDR plans only). Available step types: Email (automatic and manual), Call, SMS (automatic and manual), WhatsApp, LinkedIn (automatic and manual), Zapier, Task, and Condition — plus Action (move to sequence) and Merge for branch control. Reorder steps by drag-and-drop, clone them, add A/B variants, set per-step delays. Set a subject line on Step 1; leave later subject lines empty to keep emails in one thread.
  4. Assign sending accounts. Connect one or several mailboxes to the sequence in the Accounts settings; check each is connected and warmed. See Mailbox selection for how Reply rotates among them.
  5. Attach a schedule. Pick weekdays and time ranges in the sending timezone — a delivery window of at least 2.5-4 hours is recommended. Reply schedules use UTC and do not adjust for Daylight Saving Time. Optionally set a separate schedule for follow-ups, use the contact's own timezone when set (detected at import from Country plus State or City), and skip public holidays with a system or custom calendar. A default schedule applies to new sequences automatically.
  6. Set the limits. Max new daily contacts controls how many contacts start Step 1 each day — the rest wait as Throttled. Choose Add until capacity (default: tops up only to the limit and adds nothing on closed schedule days) or Add full amount; or enable No limit on new daily contacts to skip throttling. Max number of emails per day caps first-step emails at up to 10,000 — and Max new daily contacts overrides it, preparing contacts every day including weekends. Set a delay between emails of 120-180 seconds (the system needs an extra 10-15 seconds per send), and optionally cap same-domain contacts per day and enable matching email providers. See Configure sending limits.
  7. Choose replies handling. Mark as finished stops follow-ups to a prospect who replies; Continue sending emails sends the rest anyway. Optionally switch contacts to Finished when the last step is sent with no reply. Replies to direct (non-sequence) emails set Replied but do not stop the sequence.
  8. Review deliverability settings. Plain text mode is enabled by default for new sequences — it strips HTML, images, and tracking links. Opens tracking and link tracking are both disabled by default; enable them only if you accept the tracking trade-off. An optional List-Unsubscribe header adds a standard unsubscribe path.
  9. Test before launch. From the step editor, expand the dropdown next to Save and choose Send Test email — pick the To and From addresses. The opt-out link does not work in test emails, since they carry no sequence or contact context. Then open Preview to see each recipient's exact message; you can edit text per recipient without touching the master template. CC is not supported in customized emails, only automatic email and LinkedIn steps are previewable, and if you customize one A/B variant only the edited variant is sent.
  10. Launch and watch the first window. Save and launch. Deliveries should start inside the first open schedule window; put your own address on the list to receive Step 1 yourself.

Important rules

Sequence execution · When Reply sends · Mailbox selection · Reply detection · Sequence stopping

Side effects

Real email to real people from the first minute of the first open window. Throttled contacts keep moving into Step 1 daily under Max new daily contacts — including weekends under Add full amount.

Failure conditions

Nothing sends: the schedule window is closed, a daily limit is exhausted, or the account is disconnected — see Why is a campaign not running? and Why was an email not sent?. A red or orange sequence toggle names the blocking condition — what each color means.

Verification

Within the first sending window: the Stats tab shows deliveries counting, the toggle is green, and a test contact (your own address on the list) receives Step 1 threaded as expected.

Safe stopping

Pause the sequence — sending stops, state is kept, resume continues where it left off. Nothing already delivered is retracted. See Sequence stopping.

Limits

  • Max number of emails per day: caps first-step emails, up to 10,000; Max new daily contacts overrides it
  • Recommended delay between emails: 120-180 seconds, plus 10-15 seconds of system processing per send
  • Recommended schedule window: at least 2.5-4 hours; schedules run on UTC with no Daylight Saving adjustment
  • Plain text mode: on by default for new sequences; opens tracking and link tracking: off by default
  • Same-domain daily cap excludes common free domains such as gmail.com and yahoo.com
  • Contact timezone detection needs Country plus State or City at import

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