Introduction
Email Sequences is a powerful automation tool that lets you build and execute multi-step email outreach campaigns. Instead of sending emails one at a time and manually tracking who received what and when, you can create reusable sequences that automatically send emails on a schedule, track engagement, and route recipients down different paths based on their behavior.
Sequences are ideal for:
Lead nurturing: Automatically follow up with prospects over time
Sales outreach: Run systematic multi-touch campaigns to contacts
Engagement tracking: Monitor opens, clicks, and replies to optimize your messaging
Conditional workflows: Branch your outreach based on how recipients interact with your emails
ellocharlie handles all the execution details — scheduling sends, tracking engagement via email webhooks, and advancing recipients through your sequence steps automatically.
Getting Started with Sequences
Creating a New Sequence
Navigate to the Email Sequences, under Sales & Marketing.
Click Create New Sequence
Enter a sequence name and optional description
Configure sender details:
From email: The address emails will be sent from (e.g.,
[email protected])From name: The display name recipients will see
Reply-to: Where replies should be directed (optional)
Set sending preferences:
Timezone: Used to schedule sends in the recipient's local time
Sending window: Hours during which emails can be sent (e.g., 9 AM–5 PM)
Exclude weekends: Prevent sends on Saturday and Sunday
Click Save as Draft to continue editing, or Activate to begin processing enrollments
Building Your Sequence Flow
Use the visual flow builder to design your outreach sequence. You can add the following step types:
Email Steps
Compose personalized emails with:
Subject line: The email subject
Body: Rich text editor (TipTap) for formatting
Personalization placeholders: Insert dynamic values:
{{first_name}}— recipient's first name{{last_name}}— recipient's last name{{email}}— recipient's email address{{company_name}}— recipient's company{{unsubscribe_url}}— automatically included in footer for compliance
Optional sender override: Use a different from name for this specific email
Delay Steps
Add a pause between emails to space out your outreach. Configure the number of days to wait before the next step executes.
Condition Steps
Branch your sequence based on recipient engagement:
Condition types:
Opened previous email
Clicked link in previous email
Replied to previous email
Lookback window: Specify how many days to wait before evaluating the condition
Two output paths: Yes (condition met) and No (condition not met) — each path continues with different steps
Manual Task Steps
Include human touchpoints in your automation:
Task types: Call, LinkedIn outreach, or Custom
Description: Details about what should be done
Assignee: Which team member should handle the task
When the step executes, the assigned user receives an in-app notification
The sequence advances automatically (does not wait for task completion)
Webhook Steps
Send data to external systems via outbound webhooks for advanced integrations.
Exit Steps
Explicitly end a sequence path for certain recipients.
Enrolling Contacts and Leads
Manual Enrollment
You can enroll contacts or leads into an active sequence in two ways:
From the Sequence Detail Page:
Open an active sequence
Click Enroll Contacts/Leads
Search for and select one or more contacts or leads
Click Enroll
From a Contact or Lead Detail Page:
Open a contact or lead record
Click Add to Sequence
Select an active sequence from the list
Confirm enrollment
Enrollment Rules
A contact or lead cannot be enrolled in the same sequence twice simultaneously
Only active sequences can accept new enrollments
Enrollments can be paused, resumed, or removed at any time
Managing Enrollments
From the sequence detail page, you can:
View enrollment status: See which contacts/leads are active, completed, replied, bounced, or unsubscribed
Pause an enrollment: Stop execution of steps for a specific recipient without removing them
Resume an enrollment: Restart steps for a paused enrollment
Remove an enrollment: Permanently end an enrollment
Engagement Tracking and Auto-Exit
How Engagement is Tracked
ElloCharlie automatically tracks email engagement via Resend webhooks:
Opens: When a recipient opens an email
Clicks: When a recipient clicks a link in an email
Replies: When a recipient replies to an email
Bounces: When an email cannot be delivered (hard or soft bounce)
Unsubscribes: When a recipient clicks the unsubscribe link
Automatic Exit Behavior
Recipients automatically exit a sequence under these conditions:
Reply detected: Enrollment status changes to
replied— no further steps executeHard bounce detected: Enrollment status changes to
bounced— no further steps executeUnsubscribe: Recipient is marked
unsubscribedand added to a global suppression list — they will not receive emails from any sequence
Paused enrollments do not execute steps. You can resume them later to continue the sequence.
Sequence Analytics
Overview Metrics
The sequence detail page displays:
Total enrollments: How many contacts/leads are in the sequence
Active: Currently processing steps
Completed: Finished all steps
Replied: Exited due to reply
Bounced: Exited due to bounce
Unsubscribed: Opted out
Per-Step Metrics
For each email step, you can see:
Emails sent: Total sent
Delivered: Successfully delivered
Opened: Recipients who opened the email
Clicked: Recipients who clicked a link
Replied: Recipients who replied
Bounced: Delivery failures
Funnel Visualization
A funnel chart shows how many recipients reach each step in your sequence, helping you identify where people drop off or disengage.
FAQ
General Questions
What is the difference between Email Sequences and my regular support email domain?
Email Sequences uses a dedicated, isolated sender identity (e.g., [email protected]) completely separate from your support/helpdesk domain. This allows you to send bulk campaigns without interfering with your monitored mailboxes on Google or Microsoft infrastructure. The broadcast domain is independent and requires its own DNS verification.
Can I use the same domain for sequences and support emails?
No. Sequences require a dedicated broadcast domain that is separate from your receiving/support-reply configuration. This isolation ensures that campaign sends do not affect your support email infrastructure.
How many sequences can I create?
There is no limit on the number of sequences you can create. You can build as many reusable outreach flows as you need.
Can I enroll contacts from a CSV or bulk list?
Not in v1. Currently, enrollment is manual — you search for and select contacts/leads one at a time or in small groups. Bulk list import and CSV upload are planned for a future release.
Can automation rules trigger sequence enrollment?
Not yet. Automation-triggered enrollment (via an enroll_in_sequence action) is planned for v2. For now, all enrollment is manual.
Sending and Delivery
How do I set up my broadcast domain for sending?
Go to Email Settings and scroll to the Broadcast Sending section
Enter your desired sending domain (e.g.,
[email protected])ElloCharlie will provide DNS records to add to your domain registrar
Add the DNS records and wait for verification (usually a few minutes to a few hours)
Once verified, you can use that domain as the sender for your sequences
Do I need to verify my broadcast domain with DNS?
Yes. Sequences domains must pass Resend DNS verification before sending. This ensures deliverability and protects your domain reputation. The verification process is automated — you add the provided DNS records to your registrar, and ElloCharlie checks periodically until they are detected.
How long does DNS verification take?
Typically a few minutes to a few hours, depending on your DNS provider's propagation time. You can check the verification status on the Email Settings page.
Can I send from multiple domains?
The current system supports one broadcast domain per tenant. If you need to send from multiple domains, contact support to discuss your use case.
What happens if an email bounces?
Hard bounces (invalid address, domain does not exist) automatically exit the enrollment with a bounced status. Soft bounces (mailbox full, temporary issue) may be retried depending on the sender's policy. Recipients who bounce are not sent further emails in that sequence.
Personalization and Content
What personalization placeholders are available?
You can use:
{{first_name}}— recipient's first name{{last_name}}— recipient's last name{{email}}— recipient's email address{{company_name}}— recipient's company
Is the unsubscribe link required?
Yes. The {{unsubscribe_url}} placeholder is automatically included in the email footer for legal compliance. Recipients who click it are marked unsubscribed and added to a global suppression list.
Can I use different sender names for different steps?
Yes. Each email step can optionally override the sequence's default from name, allowing you to personalize the sender identity per email.
Can I A/B test email variants?
Not in v1. A/B testing of email variants within a step is planned for a future release.
Engagement and Conditions
How does ElloCharlie track opens and clicks?
Opens and clicks are tracked via Resend webhooks. When a recipient opens an email or clicks a link, Resend notifies ElloCharlie, which updates the engagement record and can trigger conditional branches.
What is the lookback window for conditions?
The lookback window is a configurable number of days that ElloCharlie waits before evaluating a condition (e.g., "wait 2 days before checking if the recipient opened the email"). This allows time for engagement to occur before branching.
What happens if a recipient replies to an email?
If a reply is detected, the enrollment automatically exits with a replied status, and no further steps execute. This prevents you from continuing to email someone who has already engaged.
Can I manually mark an enrollment as replied or bounced?
Not in the current version. Status changes are automatic based on engagement tracking. You can, however, pause or remove an enrollment manually.
Sequence Management
Can I edit a sequence after it's active?
Yes. You can edit active sequences, but changes only apply to new enrollments or future steps. Enrollments already in progress continue with the previous version.
What happens if I pause an enrollment?
Paused enrollments do not execute any steps. You can resume them later, and they will continue from where they left off.
Can I delete a sequence?
Yes. You can delete a sequence, but existing enrollments will be archived. Deleted sequences cannot be recovered.
How do I know if my sequence is performing well?
Check the Sequence Analytics section. Look at open rates, click rates, and reply rates per step. A funnel visualization shows how many recipients reach each step. Use this data to optimize subject lines, email content, and timing.
Best Practices
Domain and Sender Setup
Use a descriptive no-reply address
Choose a sending domain that clearly identifies your company and intent — for example, [email protected] or [email protected] rather than a generic address. This builds trust and improves deliverability.
Keep broadcast and support domains separate
Never use your primary business email or support domain for sequences. The isolation protects your support infrastructure and ensures sequences do not interfere with helpdesk operations.
Test DNS records before production sends
After adding DNS records to your registrar, verify they are correctly configured before launching a large campaign. ElloCharlie will show verification status on the Email Settings page.
Monitor your domain reputation
High bounce rates or spam complaints can damage your sender reputation. Regularly review bounce and unsubscribe metrics, and remove invalid addresses from future campaigns.
Sequence Design
Start with a clear goal
Before building a sequence, define what you want to achieve: lead nurturing, follow-up, re-engagement, etc. This shapes your email content, timing, and conditions.
Keep sequences focused and short
A 3–5 step sequence is often more effective than a 10-step marathon. Shorter sequences have higher completion rates and are easier to optimize.
Use delays strategically
Space out emails to avoid overwhelming recipients. A common pattern is 1 day, then 3 days, then 7 days. Adjust based on your audience and goals.
Personalize where it matters
Use placeholders like {{first_name}} and {{company_name}} to make emails feel personal. Avoid over-personalizing; focus on the most impactful fields.
Write compelling subject lines
Subject lines determine open rates. Test different approaches (question, curiosity, urgency) and monitor open rates per step to see what resonates.
Conditional Logic
Branch on high-intent signals
Use conditions to separate engaged recipients from unengaged ones. For example:
If they clicked a link → send a more direct call-to-action
If they did not open → try a different subject line or timing
Set appropriate lookback windows
Give recipients time to engage before evaluating a condition. A 2–3 day lookback window is typical for opens and clicks.
Keep branches simple
Avoid overly complex branching logic. Two paths (Yes/No) per condition is usually sufficient.
Manual Tasks
Use tasks for high-value touchpoints
Include a "Call this lead" task after a key email to ensure important prospects get personal attention.
Assign tasks to the right person
Make sure the assignee is the right person for the task and has capacity to complete it promptly.
Monitor task completion
Tasks do not block sequence progression, so the sequence continues even if a task is not completed. Check in-app notifications to ensure tasks are being handled.
Analytics and Optimization
Review metrics regularly
Check sequence analytics weekly to spot trends. Look for:
Low open rates → test new subject lines
Low click rates → improve call-to-action copy
High bounce rates → clean your contact list
Create variations to test
Build multiple versions of a sequence with different subject lines, email content, or timing. Compare their metrics to find what works best.
Segment your audience
Enroll different groups of contacts into different sequences tailored to their stage or industry. Personalization improves engagement.
Archive underperforming sequences
If a sequence has consistently low engagement, pause it and analyze what went wrong. Use insights to improve future sequences.
Compliance and Reputation
Always include an unsubscribe link
The {{unsubscribe_url}} placeholder is automatically included, but make sure it is visible and easy to click. Respecting unsubscribes protects your reputation.
Monitor unsubscribe and bounce rates
High rates indicate list quality issues or messaging problems. Address the root cause rather than ignoring the signals.
Avoid spam triggers
Do not use excessive capitalization or exclamation marks
Avoid spam keywords (e.g., "free money", "act now")
Keep HTML clean and avoid suspicious links
Use a recognizable from name and address
Respect sending windows
Respect your configured sending window (e.g., 9 AM–5 PM in recipient timezone). Sending outside business hours can reduce engagement and annoy recipients.