> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.orbitforms.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sequences

> Create automated multi-step campaigns with email and optional SMS (Salesmsg). Send from your own email address, track engagement, and enroll contacts manually or from workflows.

## 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.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Send from your email" icon="envelope">
    Emails are sent from your own address (e.g., [matt@yourcompany.com](mailto:matt@yourcompany.com)). Replies go directly to your inbox.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Track engagement" icon="eye">
    Monitor open rates, click rates, and bounces for each email step in your sequence.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Timed delivery" icon="clock">
    Set delays between steps (minutes, hours, or days) and configure a sending window so emails arrive during business hours.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage enrollments" icon="users">
    Enroll contacts manually, in bulk, or automatically via workflows when someone submits a form.
  </Card>

  <Card title="SMS via Salesmsg (Advanced)" icon="message">
    Add SMS steps and choose a **Send from number** in sequence settings. Each teammate connects their own Salesmsg account in **Settings → Sending**.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Getting Started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set up your sending domain">
    Go to **Settings → Sending** and add your domain ([open Sending settings →](https://orbitforms.ai/settings/email-sending)). You'll need to add a few DNS records (SPF, DKIM, and a tracking CNAME) to verify ownership. This is a one-time setup.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a sequence">
    Go to the Sequences page and click "New Sequence". Add email steps with subjects and body content. Set delays between steps.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activate and enroll contacts">
    Click Activate to publish the sequence, then enroll contacts manually or automatically via a workflow trigger.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  See the [Email Sending Domain Setup](/guides/email-sending) guide for detailed DNS configuration instructions.
</Info>

## 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.

1. **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](/integrations/salesmsg) guide.
2. **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.
3. **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., [matt@yourcompany.com](mailto:matt@yourcompany.com)). The domain must be verified in **Settings → Sending**. Replies go directly to this address.

<Warning>
  **Domain Must Be Verified:** You cannot activate a sequence until the From Email's domain is verified. If you enter [matt@yourcompany.com](mailto:matt@yourcompany.com), then yourcompany.com must be set up and verified in **Settings → Sending**.
</Warning>

## Unsubscribe Handling

OrbitForms 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. |

<Warning>
  **Your Responsibility When Removing the Unsubscribe Link:** If you choose "None", no unsubscribe link will be included in your emails. It is your responsibility to ensure your emails comply with applicable anti-spam laws such as CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and CASL. Many jurisdictions require a way for recipients to opt out of commercial emails. Only remove the unsubscribe link if you are confident the emails do not require one (e.g., transactional messages or existing one-to-one conversations).
</Warning>

### Unsubscribe enforcement

* **Always respected:** Regardless of your unsubscribe link setting, OrbitForms 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

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Email Sending Setup" icon="globe" href="/guides/email-sending">
    Verify your sending domain
  </Card>

  <Card title="Salesmsg (SMS)" icon="message" href="/integrations/salesmsg">
    Connect Salesmsg and configure inbox & numbers
  </Card>

  <Card title="Workflows" icon="workflow" href="/guides/workflows">
    Auto-enroll contacts from forms
  </Card>
</CardGroup>