How Sequences Work
Sequences let you send a series of timed messages to contacts who have opted in. Each sequence consists of email steps and, on the Advanced plan, optional SMS steps, with configurable delays between them. When a contact is enrolled, they automatically move through each step in order.Send from your email
Emails are sent from your own address (e.g., [email protected]). Replies go directly to your inbox.
Track engagement
Monitor open rates, click rates, and bounces for each email step in your sequence.
Timed delivery
Set delays between steps (minutes, hours, or days) and configure a sending window so emails arrive during business hours.
Manage enrollments
Enroll contacts manually, in bulk, or automatically via workflows when someone submits a form.
SMS via Salesmsg (Advanced)
Add SMS steps and choose a Send from number in sequence settings. Each teammate connects their own Salesmsg account in Settings → Sending.
Getting Started
Set up your sending domain
Go to Settings → Sending and add your domain (open Sending settings →). You’ll need to add a few DNS records (SPF, DKIM, and a tracking CNAME) to verify ownership. This is a one-time setup.
Create a sequence
Go to the Sequences page and click “New Sequence”. Add email steps with subjects and body content. Set delays between steps.
Configure sender identity
In your sequence’s Settings tab, enter the From Name and From Email you want to send from. The email domain must match your verified sending domain.
See the Email Sending Domain Setup guide for detailed DNS configuration instructions.
SMS steps (Salesmsg)
On the Advanced plan, you can click Add SMS step in the sequence editor. SMS is delivered through Salesmsg; it is not a separate workflow node.- Team setup: At least one member connects Salesmsg under Settings → Sending → SMS Sending, chooses a Message Inbox and Default Phone Number, and clicks Save Settings. See the Salesmsg integration guide.
- Per sequence: Open the sequence Settings tab → SMS section and set Send from number (required to publish if the sequence includes any SMS step). That selects both the phone number and which teammate’s Salesmsg connection sends the messages.
- Contacts: Enrolled contacts must have a phone value suitable for SMS (E.164 format, e.g. +14155551234).
Building a Sequence
The sequence editor lets you build a multi-step flow with delays between each step.| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Email Steps | Each email step has a subject line and body. Use the editor to write your email content, and insert variables like {{ contact.first_name }} to personalize each message. |
| SMS Steps | SMS steps contain message text only; the sending number is chosen in Settings → SMS for the whole sequence. Use variables such as {{ contact.first_name }} in the message body. |
| Delays | Set the wait time between steps. Choose minutes, hours, or days. The first step can run immediately (delay of 0) or after a configured wait. |
| Send Window | Configure a sending window (e.g., 9am-5pm) and timezone to ensure emails arrive during business hours. Optionally restrict to business days only. |
| Threading | Enable “Thread emails” in Settings to send follow-ups in the same email thread, so the recipient sees them as a conversation. |
| Variables | Insert dynamic content with {{ contact.first_name }}, {{ contact.email }}, {{ contact.company }}, {{ sender.first_name }}, {{ sender.meeting_link }}, and more. |
Sender Identity
Each sequence has its own sender identity configured in the Settings tab:- From Name: The display name recipients see (e.g., “Matt Smith” or “Orbit Support”). This appears in the recipient’s inbox.
- From Email: The email address emails are sent from (e.g., [email protected]). The domain must be verified in Settings → Sending. Replies go directly to this address.
Unsubscribe Handling
Orbit AI includes built-in unsubscribe support for compliance and deliverability. You can configure the unsubscribe link style in each sequence’s Settings tab:| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| ”Stop hearing from me” | Adds a soft-worded footer: “If you’d prefer not to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe here.” This is the default. |
| ”Unsubscribe” | Adds a simple “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of each email. |
| ”None” | No unsubscribe link or List-Unsubscribe header is added to the email. Use this for transactional or one-to-one style emails where an unsubscribe link is not appropriate. |
Unsubscribe enforcement
- Always respected: Regardless of your unsubscribe link setting, Orbit AI will never send to a contact who is on your unsubscribe list. If a contact has previously unsubscribed, they are blocked from receiving any sequence emails even if the sequence has the unsubscribe link set to “None”.
- Automatic removal: When a contact unsubscribes (via the link, email client button, or manually added to the list), they are immediately removed from all active sequences and cannot be re-enrolled.
- List-Unsubscribe header: When using “Stop hearing from me” or “Unsubscribe”, a machine-readable List-Unsubscribe header is included. This enables the “Unsubscribe” button in Gmail and Outlook, which improves deliverability. This header is not included when set to “None”.
Analytics & Tracking
Each sequence has an Analytics tab showing overall and per-step performance:| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Open Rate | Percentage of delivered emails that were opened |
| Click Rate | Percentage of delivered emails with at least one link click |
| Bounce Rate | Percentage of emails that bounced |
| Enrollments | Total contacts enrolled, active, completed, and exited |
Next Steps
Email Sending Setup
Verify your sending domain
Salesmsg (SMS)
Connect Salesmsg and configure inbox & numbers
Workflows
Auto-enroll contacts from forms