Reach the right people with the right message
Outbound sequences let you build automated email campaigns that send personalized messages to your prospects over time. Whether you are reaching out to potential property owners, following up with leads, or nurturing vendor relationships, sequences handle the repetitive sending while you focus on the conversations that matter.How sequences work
A sequence is a series of email steps that are sent automatically on a schedule. Each step can have its own message, timing, and personalization — so your outreach feels intentional, not robotic.Create a sequence
Go to Outbound and click New Sequence. Give it a name and set the sending schedule (which days and hours emails should go out).
Add email steps
Build out your sequence by adding email steps. Each step has a subject line and message body. You can add as many steps as you need — a typical outreach sequence has 3–5 steps spaced a few days apart.
Personalize with variables
Use the variable picker to insert dynamic fields into both your subject lines and message body. Variables are replaced with real data when the email is sent — so every message feels personal.
Add contacts
Add individual contacts or import a list. Each contact moves through the sequence independently, receiving each step on schedule.
Personalization variables
Variables let you tailor every email to its recipient. Insert them anywhere in your subject lines or message body using the variable picker in the sequence builder.Available variables
| Variable | What it inserts | Example |
|---|---|---|
| First name | The contact’s first name | ”Hi Sarah” |
| Last name | The contact’s last name | ”Dear Ms. Johnson” |
| Full name | The contact’s full name | ”Sarah Johnson” |
| Company | The company the contact belongs to | ”I noticed that Coastal Stays…” |
| Listing count | The number of listings the contact’s company manages | ”Managing 45 properties is no small feat” |
| PMS | The property management system the company uses | ”Since you are using Guesty…” |
Using variables in subject lines
You can personalize email subject lines the same way you personalize the message body. Open the variable picker in the subject line field and select the variable you want to insert. Example subject lines:- “Quick question about your listings”
- “How handles guest communication”
- “A better way to manage operations”
If a variable cannot be resolved for a specific contact (for example, the company has no PMS data), the variable is replaced with an empty string so the email still reads naturally. Review your contact data before launching a sequence to maximize personalization.
Scheduling and sending
Control exactly when your emails go out:- Send window — choose the days of the week and hours of the day when emails should be sent (for example, weekdays between 9 AM and 5 PM)
- Step delays — set the number of days between each step in the sequence
- Pause and resume — pause a sequence at any time without losing progress; contacts pick up where they left off when you resume
Monitoring your sequences
Each sequence shows key metrics so you can see what is working:| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Contacts enrolled | Total number of contacts in the sequence |
| Emails sent | How many individual emails have been delivered |
| Replies | Contacts who responded to any step |
| Conversations | Active conversations started from the sequence |
Tips for effective outreach
Personalize every message
Use variables in both subject lines and body text. Emails that reference the recipient’s company, listing count, or PMS get significantly better response rates.
Keep sequences short
3–5 steps is the sweet spot. Longer sequences have diminishing returns and can feel intrusive to recipients.
Space your steps appropriately
Leave 2–4 days between steps. Too frequent feels aggressive; too spread out and you lose momentum.
Review your contact data first
Variables only work when the data is there. Make sure your contacts have company names, listing counts, and PMS information filled in before launching a sequence.