Follow-Up Sequences

Overview

Follow-up sequences allow your AI agent to automatically send messages to contacts who haven't responded, keeping leads engaged and moving them toward your goal. When a contact is unresponsive, the Agent will send a series of follow-up messages at intervals you define.

Sequenced follow-ups vs custom follow-ups

• This guide details how to configure sequenced follow ups.
• Sequenced follow-ups allow you to directly control messaging, tone, quantity, and frequency of texts sent to unresponsive leads
• Sequenced follow-ups do not use AI tokens to send (only cost is SMS segments)
• No tokens are charged against your credits for using AI to generate sequenced follow-ups either
• In addition to sequenced follow-ups, agents can also set custom follow-ups
  • Agents can only set custom follow-ups if you have follow-ups enabled
  • Agents will set custom follow-ups only for situations where the contact requests to be followed up with at a certain time.
  • For example, contact says "i cant talk right now, can you text me when I get off work at 5" > Agent responds with something like "No problem! I'll message you then!" > Agent schedules custom follow up for 5 PM
  • When Agent schedules a custom follow up, existing sequenced follow ups are postponed till after the custom follow up.

Use follow-up sequences for:

• Journey Starting Line stage agents (pushing toward booking or qualification)
• Agents pursuing secondary goals
• Re-engaging unresponsive leads

Don't use for:

• Appointment Scheduled stage agents (goal already achieved)
• Global agents (they're reactive, not proactive)
• Stages where you're waiting on your team, not the contact

Accessing Follow-Up Sequences

For Journey Agents:

1. Open the AI Agent Editor Modal
2. Go to the "Follow-ups" tab
3. Configure follow-up sequence

Note: Follow-ups tab is only available for journey agents (not global agents).

Creating Follow-Up Sequences

Method 1: Generate with AI (Recommended, will get you 90-100% of what you want in 2 seconds, then you can adjust as needed)

Step 1: In the Follow-ups tab, click "Generate with AI" button

Step 2: Select sequence type:

New Leads Follow-up

• For fresh leads who just entered your journey
• Progressive engagement sequence
• Builds rapport while pushing toward goal
• Defaults to longer term follow up

Old Leads Sale/Promotion

• For reactivating old leads with a new offer
• Include sale/promotion details (required)
• Shorter, more direct sequence

Step 3: Add additional context (optional for new leads, required for promotions)

Examples:

• "These are Houston homeowners interested in HVAC services"
• "advertising a promotion for 20% off all services for the month of October. Free consultation included."

Step 4: Click "Generate"

Step 5: Review the generated messages - This is critical!

• Check tone and messaging
• Verify delays make sense
• Ensure messages reference your business appropriately
• Edit any messages as needed
• Ensure usage of "hook" will make sense in the sentence. This depends on what you are setting as your "hook" in the lead source(s) that feed into this Journey.
  • "hook" is what the contact originally expressed interest in. For example: "new pool build", "electric wiring repair", "free water analysis", "initial consultation" etc.
  • Check your lead sources (Settings > Lead Source > Contact Field Updates) to see what hooks you are setting
  • Then review your follow up messages
  • If your "hook" is "pool remodel", the follow up message: "Ready to get more info on your {contact.hook}?" makes sense. It would say "Ready to get more info on your pool remodel?" when sent to the contact.
  • But if your "hook is "pool remodel", and the follow up message is: "Hi {contact.first_name}, checking in about {contact.hook}. Is now a better time to chat?" the resulting message "Hi Joe, checking in about pool remodel. Is now a better time to chat?" will feel slighly awkward.
  • In this second case, you can simply edit the follow up message to include the word "your" and it will feel natural. "Hi {contact.first_name}, checking in about your {contact.hook}. Is now a better time to chat?" becomes "Hi Joe, checking in about your pool remodel. Is now a better time to chat?"

Step 6: Click "Save Changes" in the agent editor

Method 2: Manual Creation

Step 1: Toggle "Follow-Up Sequence" to enabled

Step 2: Configure settings (see below)

Step 3: Click "Add Follow-Up Message"

Step 4: Enter message content (use variables with { key)

Step 5: Set delay from previous message

Step 6: Add more messages as needed

Step 7: Save the agent

Follow-Up Settings

Enable/Disable Toggle

Turn the entire follow-up sequence on or off.

When Enabled:

• Sequence sends automatically to unresponsive contacts
• Messages sent according to configured delays

When Disabled:

• No follow-ups sent
• Agent still responds if contact messages first

Pause Duration on Reply

What It Does: When a contact replies, the next follow-up is automatically rescheduled to this many hours after their last message.

Default: 3 hours

Example:

• Follow-up #2 is scheduled for 2:00 PM
• Contact replies at 1:45 PM
• AI Agent responds naturally
• Next follow-up reschedules to 4:45 PM (3 hours after their reply)
• Prevents sending follow-up right after they engaged

Recommended: 2-4 hours

• Gives contact time to re-engage naturally
• Prevents pestering immediately after they respond

Mark as Ended After

What It Does: After the last follow-up message is sent, wait this long before automatically marking the opportunity as "ended."

Default: 2 days

Example:

• Last follow-up sent: Day 60
• Wait: 2 days
• On Day 62: Opportunity automatically marked "ended"
• Journey stops, Opportunity is no longer "open", lead could re-enter the journey with a new opportunity at any time.

Recommended:

• New leads: 2-7 days after last follow-up
• Old leads promotions: 1-2 days after last follow-up

Why This Exists: Gives contact one final chance to respond before journey closes automatically.

Time Restrictions

Control when follow-up messages can be sent.

Enable Time Restrictions: Toggle on/off

When Enabled, Configure:

Start Hour

• Earliest time in a day to send follow-ups
• Default: (10:00 AM)

End Hour

• Latest time in a day to send follow-ups
• Default: (7:00 PM)

Allowed Days

• Which days of the week to send
• Select any combination of days
• Default: All days enabled

Timezone Source

• Account Timezone: Use your business timezone for all contacts (This is default, and if you operate locally, this is what you want)
• Contact Timezone: Use each contact's individual timezone (if set)

Example:

• Time restrictions: 10 AM - 7 PM, Monday-Saturday
• Follow-up scheduled for Sunday 8:00 AM
• System waits until Monday 10:00 AM to send

Recommended:

• Enable time restrictions (respectful to contacts)
• Start: 9-10 AM
• End: 6-7 PM
• Days: Monday-Saturday (or all days depending on your business)
• Timezone: Contact timezone only if you service multiple time zones

Important: Time restrictions only apply to proactive follow-ups. The AI still responds 24/7 when contacts message you.

Follow-Up Messages

Adding Messages

Each message in the sequence has:

Content (Required)

• The message text to send
• Can use variables (press { to access)
• Keep conversational and valuable

Delay from Last (Required)

• Time to wait after previous message (or last contact reply)
• Enter value and select unit: minutes, hours, or days

Available Variables:

• {contact.first_name}, {contact.last_name}, {contact.full_name}
• {contact.hook} - What they're interested in
• {account.name} - an conversational way to refer to how they originally reached out to you, for example "our website" (Set friendly source for each lead source in Settings > Lead Sources > Lead Source > Contact Field Updates)
• {account.name} - Your business name
• All other contact fields

Message Tips

Good Follow-Up Messages:

Message 1 (2 hours after no response):

Hi {contact.first_name}, just wanted to check if now is a better time to chat about your {contact.hook} request?

Message 2 (1 day later):

Hi {contact.first_name}, I know you're busy! When you have a moment, I'd love to help with your {contact.hook} project. Just let me know a good time to connect.

Message 3 (3 days later):

{contact.first_name}, still happy to help when you're ready. {account.name} has availability this week for consultations. Interested?

Best Practices:

• Keep early messages short and simple
• Provide value in each message
• Reference their original interest ({contact.hook})
• Get more direct as sequence progresses
• Last message can acknowledge they might not be ready

Reordering Messages

Use the up/down arrows to change message order:

• First message = first follow-up
• Delays are cumulative (each is "from last message")

Editing Messages

Click on any message to edit:

• Update content
• Change delay
• Use variable selector to add dynamic fields

Removing Messages

Click the trash icon to delete a message from the sequence.

Follow-Up Sequence Examples

Example 1: New HVAC Leads (10 messages over 60 days)

Generated by AI with type: "New Leads Follow-up"

Typical sequence:

1. 2 hours - Quick check-in
2. 1 day - Offer help
3. 3 days - Mention availability
4. 7 days - Provide value/tips
5. 14 days - Special offer
6. 21 days - Last chance check-in
7. 30 days - Seasonal reminder
8. 40 days - Final attempt
9. 50 days - Very final message
10. 60 days - "Still here if you need us"

After Message 10 + 2 days: Opportunity marked "ended"

Example 2: Old Leads Promotion (3 messages over 1 week)

Generated by AI with type: "Old Leads Sale/Promotion" Context: "20% off all HVAC services for October. Free consultation included."

Typical sequence:

1. Immediate - Announce sale
2. 3 days - Remind about offer expiring
3. 6 days - Final day reminder

After Message 3 + 1 day: Opportunity marked "ended"

Example 3: Custom Consultation Follow-Up

Manual configuration:

Message 1 (4 hours):

Hi {contact.first_name}! Following up about scheduling your consultation. 
Have you had a chance to think about when would work best?

Message 2 (2 days):

{contact.first_name}, I have some openings this week if you'd like to 
schedule that consultation. Just text me back when you can chat!

Message 3 (5 days):

Just checking in one more time about your {contact.hook} project. 
Happy to help whenever you're ready!

Message 4 (10 days):

{contact.first_name}, we never heard from you after your intial request for a {contact.hook}. No worries! {account.name} is 
here whenever you need us. We'll stop following up for now, but you can text us anytime!

How Follow-Ups Work

Normal Flow (Contact Not Responding)

1. Contact's last message: Monday 10:00 AM
2. First follow-up scheduled: Monday 12:00 PM (2 hour delay)
3. Time gate check: Is it between allowed hours/days?
4. If yes: Message sends at 12:00 PM
5. If no: Message waits until next allowed time
6. Second follow-up scheduled: Tuesday 12:00 PM (1 day after previous)
7. Process repeats for each message

When Contact Replies

1. Follow-up scheduled: Wednesday 2:00 PM
2. Contact replies: Wednesday 1:00 PM
3. Next follow-up reschedules to: Wednesday 4:00 PM (1 PM + 3 hour pause)
4. Sequence continues from there
5. Delays reset from the reply time

Sequence Completion

1. Last message sent
2. Wait "Mark as Ended After" duration
3. If contact still hasn't responded:
   • Opportunity marked "ended"
   • Journey stops
   • AI turns off proactive follow-ups
4. If contact responds before that:
   • Opportunity stays open
   • AI continues conversation normally

Best Practices

Use AI Generation

Advantages:

• Creates contextually appropriate sequence
• Proper pacing and tone
• Saves time
• Good starting point

Always Review:

• Messages might be too generic
• May reference features you don't offer
• Timing might not fit your business
• Edit to match your voice

Adjust for Your Business

After generating:

• Customize tone to match your brand
• Adjust delays based on your sales cycle
• Add specific value propositions
• Remove or add messages as needed

Keep Messages Valuable

Good Follow-Ups:

• ✅ Offer specific value
• ✅ Reference their original interest
• ✅ Make it easy to respond
• ✅ Show understanding they're busy

Bad Follow-Ups:

• ❌ "Following up again"
• ❌ Pushy or desperate
• ❌ Too long or complex

Progressive Approach

Early messages: Gentle, helpful

• "Is now a better time?"
• "When you have a moment..."

Middle messages: More direct, provide value

• "We have availability this week"
• "Here's what we can help with..."

Late messages: Final attempts, graceful exit

• "Last check-in from me"
• "We're here when you're ready"

Timing Strategy

For New Leads:

• Start quick: 2-4 hours after no response
• First few messages: 1-3 days apart
• Later messages: 7-14 days apart
• Total: 60-90 days
• 8-12 messages

For Old Leads/Promotions:

• Start quick: Few hours
• Space closely: 2-3 days apart
• Total: 7-10 days
• 2-3 messages

Enable Time Restrictions

Recommended:

• Always enable for better customer experience
• 9-10 AM to 6-7 PM is standard
• Exclude early mornings and late evenings
• Consider your customer base (B2B vs B2C)

Monitor and Adjust

After deploying:

• You can see next scheduled follow up for any contact right below the assigned text agent on either the contact page or the conversations page
• If you see a message with awkward phrasing sent to a contact, simply go to your agent edit the follow up message to be smoother and save.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Not Reviewing AI-Generated Sequences

❌ Generate → Save → Deploy ✅ Generate → Review → Edit → Test → Deploy

Mistake 2: Too Many or Too Few Messages

❌ 20 messages over 6 months (overkill) ❌ 2 messages over 1 week (giving up too soon) ✅ 8-12 messages over 60 days for new leads ✅ 2-4 messages over 7-14 days for promotions

Mistake 3: No Time Restrictions

❌ Follow-ups can send at 2 AM ✅ Restricted to 10 AM - 7 PM

Mistake 4: All Messages Sound the Same

❌ "Following up", "Following up again", "Following up one more time" ✅ Different value in each: tips, availability, offers, understanding

Mistake 5: Too Aggressive Too Fast

❌ Message every 2 hours for 3 days ✅ Gradual spacing: 2 hours, 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, etc.

Mistake 6: Not Using Variables for personalization

❌ "Hi, following up about your project" ✅ "Hi {contact.first_name}, following up about your {contact.hook} request"

Monitoring Follow-Ups

Viewing Scheduled Follow-Ups

On Contact Page: Below the AI Text Agent section, you'll see:

• "Next Follow-up Send" - When the next message will be sent
• "Attempt #X in sequence" - Which message number

What You Can See:

• Exact date/time of next send
• Which attempt number (1, 2, 3, etc.)
• Whether AI is on/off

If AI is Off: A note shows that scheduled follow-ups will be skipped while AI is disabled.

Following Up After Manual Conversations

If you manually chat with a contact:

• Turn AI back on when done
• Agent continues Follow-up sequence from where it left off
• Next message reschedules based on pause duration

If you determine lead isn't viable:

• Mark opportunity as "lost"
• Follow-ups stop automatically

How Follow-Ups Interact with Other Features

With Conditional Tools

Example:

• Follow-up #3 sends
• Contact replies: "Not interested"
• Conditional tool triggers: "Not Interested"
• Actions: End journey, Turn off AI
• Follow-ups stop immediately

Tools override follow-ups - if a tool ends the journey or turns off AI, follow-ups stop.

With Manual Updates

Marking Opportunity:

• Mark as "won" or "lost" → Follow-ups stop
• Mark as "ended" → Follow-ups stop

Moving Stages:

• Contact moves to new stage with a new agent configuration (AI turned off or new agent assigned) → Old agent's follow-ups stop
• New stage agent's follow-ups begin (if configured)

With Appointment Booking

When goal achieved:

• Appointment booked
• Opportunity moves to Appointment Scheduled stage
• Follow-ups stop (goal stage reached)
• New agent takes over (no follow-ups needed)

Troubleshooting

Problem: Follow-ups not sending

Solution:

• Verify sequence is enabled (toggle)
• Check contact has text AI enabled
• Ensure contact doesn't have DND for SMS
• Review time restrictions (might be outside allowed hours)
• Check that journey opportunity is still open
• Verify contact hasn't responded recently (would pause sequence)

Problem: Follow-ups sending at wrong times

Solution:

• Check time restriction settings (start/end hours)
• Verify timezone source setting
• Ensure allowed days are configured correctly
• Check if contact timezone is set (if using contact timezone)
• Account timezone must be configured (Settings > Business)

Problem: Too many follow-ups after contact replied

Solution:

• Increase pause duration (try 6-12 hours)
• Verify pause on reply is configured

Problem: Follow-ups stopped unexpectedly

Solution:

• Check if opportunity was marked ended/lost/won
• Verify contact still has text AI enabled, and the Journey Agent with follow ups assigned
• Check if contact was moved to different stage
• If journey ended, Review conditional tools use in AI Agents > AI Text Logs - one might have ended journey
• Verify journey itself is still active

Problem: Contact receiving follow-ups during off-hours

Solution:

• Enable time restrictions
• Set appropriate start/end hours
• Verify timezone source is configured
• Check account timezone in Settings > Business
• If using contact timezone, verify contact has timezone set

Problem: Generated messages don't fit my business

Solution:

• Edit messages after generation
• Customize tone and references
• Add specific offers or value props
• Remove irrelevant messages
• Generate again with better context

Problem: Can't add more messages

Solution:

• Check if you've reached maximum (no hard limit, but keep reasonable)
• Try saving agent first, then adding more
• Consider if you really need more messages

Related Features

• AI Text Agents Overview - Main agent configuration guide
• Customer Journeys - Understanding journey stages and flow
• Conditional Tools - Tools can end follow-ups early
• Contacts - Viewing scheduled follow-ups on contact page