--- title: "How to Build a Campaign Email Sequence in FirstSales | FirstSales" description: "Build the email sequence for a campaign — initial email plus follow-ups, delays between steps, merge tags, and A/B variants in the Workflow builder." canonical: "https://firstsales.io/tutorial/campaign-sequence-steps/" --- [Home](/)/[Tutorials](/tutorial/)/How to Build a Campaign Email Sequence in FirstSales Campaigns # How to Build a Campaign Email Sequence in FirstSales Build the email sequence for a campaign — initial email plus follow-ups, delays between steps, merge tags, and A/B variants in the Workflow builder. 7 min read·Beginner·7 steps 1. 1 ## Open the Workflow tab Inside a campaign, open the **Workflow** tab. A sequence is just the chain of emails and the waits between them. You can view it two ways, toggled at the top: * **Steps** — a clean, numbered vertical list. Best for building and reading the sequence. * **Canvas** — the same flow as a visual graph with branches. Best for conditions and advanced routing. Your choice is remembered between visits. Start in **Steps** view. ![Open the Workflow tab](/tutorials/autopilot-meeting-04-workflow-steps.webp) 2. 2 ## Understand the default sequence A new Template campaign scaffolds a **four-email sequence** out of the box, so you're editing rather than starting from a blank canvas: * **Initial Outreach** — sends immediately (delay 0 days). * **Follow-up #1** — 2 days after the previous step. * **Follow-up #2** — 2 days later. * **Follow-up #3** — 2 days later. Each email is an _Email Drafter_ step; a _Wait/Delay_ sits between them. The first email is labeled **Initial Outreach** and every later one **Follow-up #N** automatically. 3. 3 ## Set the delay between steps The gap before a step runs lives on the **Wait/Delay** node between emails. Open it and set **Delay (days)** — "Number of days to wait before the next step runs." It accepts **1 to 365** days. There's no wait before the first email, so **Initial Outreach** always goes out at send time. Space follow-ups a few days apart — 2–3 days is a good default. Too tight reads as pestering; too wide loses the thread. 4. 4 ## Write each email in Email Templates Open a drafter step's **Email Templates** editor to write the actual email. Each has a **Subject Line** and **Email Body**. Personalize with **merge tags** from the _Insert merge tag_ toolbar — e.g. `{{company_name}}`, plus always-available `{{sender_name}}` and `{{sender_company}}`. * Keep the first email short and specific; keep follow-ups even shorter. * Use **Send Test** to email yourself a rendered copy before you rely on it. The step's position label (**Initial Outreach** / **Follow-up #N**) tells you where in the sequence you're writing. ![Write each email in Email Templates](/tutorials/template-reply-02-sequence.webp) 5. 5 ## Add A/B variants (optional) Within a single step you can add more than one template as an **A/B variant** using **Add A/B variant**. The campaign rotates variants so you can compare subject lines or angles, and the **Per-Step Breakdown** in Analytics later shows which variant won on open and reply rate. Change one thing at a time (usually the subject) so the test result is readable. 6. 6 ## Add, reorder, or remove steps In **Steps** view, **Add Step** opens a picker of step types — **Contact Harvester, Contact Segmentation, Email Scheduler, Email Drafter**. Add an _Email Drafter_ to extend the sequence, and adjust the **Wait/Delay** before it to set its timing. Need branching — "only follow up if they didn't reply"? Switch to **Canvas** view and add a **Condition** node, which splits the flow into true/false paths. 7. 7 ## Reuse a proven sequence from the library Rather than writing from scratch, open the **sequence library** (Browse library) and import a ready-made multi-step sequence. On import you can edit each step's **Subject**, **Body**, and **Delay before step**, and a **cadence timeline** shows the schedule as **Day 0**, **+2d**, and so on. Imported steps drop straight into the same drafter-and-wait structure, so you can keep tuning them afterward. ## Pro tips Hard-won shortcuts that keep warm-up on track. 1 ### Delay lives on the Wait node, not the template Timing between emails is set on the Wait/Delay node's 'Delay (days)' field — not inside the email editor. If a follow-up fires too soon or too late, that's the node to open. 2 ### The first email never waits There's no delay before Initial Outreach — it sends at campaign send time. Delays only sit between follow-ups, so 'Day 0' is your first touch. 3 ### A/B test one variable Add an A/B variant that changes only the subject line, then read the Per-Step Breakdown for the winner. Changing subject and body at once makes the result impossible to attribute. 4 ### Start from the library, then edit Importing a library sequence gives you a proven cadence and structure in one click. Rewrite the copy for your offer, but keep the timing until your own data says otherwise. ## Frequently asked questions How many emails are in a sequence by default? A new Template campaign starts with **four**: **Initial Outreach** (sends immediately) plus **Follow-up #1, #2, and #3**, each two days after the previous step. You can add, remove, or re-time any of them. In what unit is the delay between steps? **Days.** Each Wait/Delay node has a **Delay (days)** field ('Number of days to wait before the next step runs'), accepting 1 to 365 days. Where do I set the wait between two emails? On the **Wait/Delay** node that sits between them, not in the email editor. Open the node and change **Delay (days)**. There is no wait before the first email. How do I personalize the emails? Use **merge tags** from the _Insert merge tag_ toolbar in the template editor — for example `{{company_name}}`, plus the always-available `{{sender_name}}` and `{{sender_company}}`. They're filled per contact at send time. Can I A/B test within a step? Yes. Add an **A/B variant** template to a step and the campaign rotates variants. The **Per-Step Breakdown** in Analytics then shows which variant performed best on open and reply rate. How do I add a step or a condition? In **Steps** view, **Add Step** lets you add another Email Drafter (or Harvester/Segmentation/Scheduler). For branching like 'skip if replied', switch to **Canvas** view and add a **Condition** node with true/false paths. What's the difference between Steps and Canvas view? They're two views of the same sequence. **Steps** is a numbered list that's easiest to build and read; **Canvas** is a visual graph that exposes branches and conditions. Your last-used view is remembered. Can I reuse a sequence across campaigns? Yes — open the **sequence library**, import a ready-made sequence, and edit each step's subject, body, and delay on the way in. A cadence timeline (Day 0, +2d, …) shows the schedule before you commit. ## Ready to put this into practice? Start your FirstSales trial and launch a warmed, authenticated mailbox in minutes. [Start for $1](https://app.firstsales.io) [All tutorials](/tutorial/)