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Sequences in HubSpot: A Complete Guide

1. What are Sequences?

Sequences automate a series of one-to-one sales emails and follow-up tasks so reps can nurture leads at scale—yet still look personal. They can also A/B-test outreach to improve engagement over time .


2. User & Account Requirements

To build or send sequences, a user must :

  • Hold a Sales Hub or Service Hub Professional or Enterprise seat.

  • Connect a personal inbox (team inboxes can’t send sequence mail).

  • Have the Sequences permission.

  • Remain within the portal-wide limit on total sequences.


3. Standard vs Dynamic Sequences

Sequence type When to use Key capability
Standard Classic linear outreach Up to 5 automated emails & tasks with custom delays
Dynamic Adaptive paths that branch once a contact engages Separate “automated outreach” & “rep-led” tracks triggered by opens/clicks
 

4. Create a Sequence

  1. Navigate to Automations › SequencesCreate sequence.

  2. Choose Start from scratch, a template, or Create a dynamic sequence .

  3. Name the sequence and click Create.

  4. Add steps with the + icon:

    • Automated email – sends on schedule.

    • Manual email, Call, General task, LinkedIn InMail/Connection task .

  5. Adjust delays (0–90 business days) and decide if the sequence should pause until task completion.


5. Enroll Contacts

Method Best for Steps
Individual enrollment One-off prospects From any CRM record → Enroll icon / from Sequences tool.
Bulk (≤50 contacts) Post-event follow-up or list outreach Select contacts/list rows → Enroll in sequence. Note: HubSpot sends max 3 emails/min and still obeys daily send caps .
Workflows (Enterprise) Automated lifecycle triggers Workflow action Enroll in a sequence .
API Custom apps POST /automation/v4/sequences/enrollments
 

Daily email limit—shown at the bottom of the Sequences tool—prevents sending beyond what your mail provider allows .


6. Automatic & Manual Unenrollment

A contact is automatically unenrolled when they reply, book a meeting, bounce, unsubscribe, or finish the sequence ; replies or meetings cancel remaining steps immediately .
Reps can also click Unenroll from the record, sequence summary, Gmail, or Outlook panels.


7. Analyze Performance

Open a sequence and use Performance to track enrollments, opens, clicks, replies, meetings, deals created/closed, bounce & unsubscribe rates, engagement by step, and overall sender score .


8. Best-Practice Checklist

Do Why
Personalize templates with tokens; fill missing values before send. Prevent “[FName]” mishaps
Space emails thoughtfully & respect business-hour sending windows. Higher deliverability & response
Pause until call tasks are complete when context matters. Avoid sending “I just called” when you didn’t
A/B-test automated steps to refine messaging. Identify the highest-performing variant
Monitor daily send limits & adjust bulk enroll timing. Stay compliant with provider throttling
 

9. Troubleshooting FAQ

Issue Quick check
“Enroll” button grayed out Confirm user seat & inbox connection
Contact already in another sequence A contact can only be active in one sequence at a time
Emails stopped mid-sequence The recipient replied, booked a meeting, bounced, or hit unsubscribe
Bulk enroll slow HubSpot caps at 3 emails/min plus your daily limit