--- title: "How to Create an Autopilot Get-Reply Campaign in FirstSales | FirstSales" description: "Launch an Autopilot campaign with the Get Reply goal — the AI finds contacts and writes every email to start conversations. No calendar needed." canonical: "https://firstsales.io/tutorial/create-autopilot-reply-campaign/" --- [Home](/)/[Tutorials](/tutorial/)/How to Create an Autopilot Get-Reply Campaign in FirstSales Campaigns # How to Create an Autopilot Get-Reply Campaign in FirstSales Launch an Autopilot campaign with the Get Reply goal — the AI finds contacts and writes every email to start conversations. No calendar needed. 8 min read·Beginner·7 steps 1. 1 ## Choose Outreach → Autopilot → Get Reply Open **Campaigns** → **Create Campaign**. Set **Campaign Type** to **Outreach** and **Campaign Mode** to **Autopilot** (the AI finds contacts and writes the emails). For **Campaign Goal**, pick **Get Reply**. This is the one choice that separates this campaign from an Autopilot _Meeting_ campaign. **Get Reply** optimizes every email to _start a conversation_ — the call-to-action is a low-friction question, not a calendar link. Use it when you want to open a dialogue, qualify interest, or warm up a list before ever asking for a call. Name it and click **Next**. Remember: **mode can't be changed after creation**. ![Choose Outreach → Autopilot → Get Reply](/tutorials/autopilot-reply-01-goal.webp) 2. 2 ## Tell the AI who to target Step 2 is **Contact Search Criteria** — the same as any Autopilot campaign. Describe your ideal buyer in the **Target Audience** box in plain language, e.g. _"Heads of growth at Series A–B fintech startups in the UK."_ Add an **Industry** and optional **Geography** to tighten the AI's search, then click **Create Campaign**. Because the goal is Get Reply, aim the audience at people who'll actually engage in a back-and-forth — the win here is a reply you can build on, so relevance matters more than raw volume. ![Tell the AI who to target](/tutorials/autopilot-meeting-02-contact-criteria.webp) 3. 3 ## Meet the seven builder tabs The builder opens with seven tabs: * **Info** — name, description, goal, status. * **Settings** — sending mailbox (connector), daily limits, schedule. * **AI Instructions** — teach the AI how to write for this campaign. * **Workflow** — the AI pipeline, as a canvas or numbered steps. * **Analytics** — sent, opened, and _replied_ over time. * **Contacts** — everyone the AI harvested, with sequence status. * **Logs** — a record of every AI action. Unlike a Meeting campaign, a Get-Reply campaign needs **no connected calendar** — there's no meeting to book, so you can launch as soon as the mailbox and copy are ready. ![Meet the seven builder tabs](/tutorials/autopilot-meeting-03-builder-tabs.webp) 4. 4 ## Teach the AI to open conversations Open **AI Instructions** — whatever you write is appended to the AI's prompt for every email. For a Get-Reply campaign, steer it toward _curiosity and a single easy question_ rather than a hard ask: "end with one specific question," "no calendar links," "keep it under 80 words." That's what turns opens into replies. **Style starters** let you heart the email shapes that sound like you. It never blocks launching, but a couple of confirmed shapes sharpens the drafts. ![Teach the AI to open conversations](/tutorials/autopilot-meeting-05-ai-instructions.webp) 5. 5 ## Review the autopilot workflow Open **Workflow** → **Steps**. The pipeline is the same one Autopilot runs for every campaign: **Contact Harvester** (finds contacts) → **Contact Segmentation** → **Email Scheduler** (cadence) → **Email Drafter** (personalized emails) → **Content Approval** (human-or-timeout gate) → **Email Sender**. Incoming replies flow back through **Campaign Inbound Signal**. You don't build any of it — it's pre-wired. For a Get-Reply campaign, the **Email Scheduler** follow-ups matter a lot: a polite second and third touch is where most replies actually come from. ![Review the autopilot workflow](/tutorials/autopilot-meeting-04-workflow-steps.webp) 6. 6 ## Approve the first emails, then set it live On **Settings**, choose the **connector** (a warmed-up mailbox) and confirm the daily limit, then set the campaign **Active**. The **Content Approval** step holds the first batch for your yes — review a few for tone, approve, and the AI drafts, approves on timeout, and sends from there. Since replies land in your inbox, keep an eye on **Inbox** and reply promptly while interest is warm — the AI opens the door, you walk through it. 7. 7 ## Track replies, not just opens Judge a Get-Reply campaign on the **reply rate**. Watch: * **Analytics** — sent, opened, replied. Replies are the number that matters. * **Contacts** — who's moved through the sequence and who answered. * **Inbox** — the actual conversations, where you take over from the AI. If opens are high but replies are low, the ask is the problem — tighten **AI Instructions** so every email ends with one easy, specific question. ## Pro tips Hard-won shortcuts that keep warm-up on track. 1 ### Get Reply asks a question, not for a meeting The goal shapes the CTA: Get Reply ends with a low-friction question so people answer. If your real aim is a booked call, use the Meeting goal instead — asking too hard, too early kills replies. 2 ### No calendar needed — launch sooner Unlike a Meeting campaign, Get Reply doesn't require a connected calendar. Once your mailbox is warmed and the copy reads well, there's nothing else blocking launch. 3 ### Follow-ups earn most of the replies The first email rarely gets the answer. Let the Email Scheduler's polite second and third touches run — that's where the bulk of conversations start. 4 ### Reply fast while it's warm The AI's job ends at the first reply; yours begins. Watch the Inbox and respond quickly — a same-day human reply converts far better than one two days later. ## Frequently asked questions How is a Get-Reply campaign different from a Meeting campaign? Both are Autopilot campaigns with the same pipeline. The **goal** differs: **Get Reply** writes toward starting a conversation with a soft question, while **Meeting** writes toward booking a call and _requires a connected calendar_. Get Reply is the lighter first touch; Meeting is the direct ask. Do I need to connect a calendar for a Get-Reply campaign? No. The calendar requirement only applies to the **Meeting** goal. A Get-Reply campaign has nothing to book, so you can launch as soon as the mailbox and copy are ready. Can I switch a Get-Reply campaign to Meeting later? You can't change the **mode** (Autopilot/Template) after creation, but the **goal** is a separate setting. If you need to switch intent, the cleanest path is a new campaign with the Meeting goal — that also lets the AI rewrite toward the harder ask from the start. Where do the contacts come from? From the **Contact Harvester**, which reads your Target Audience and finds matching people automatically — no list upload. You can review everyone it collected on the **Contacts** tab. Do I write any of the emails? No — the **Email Drafter** writes each one. You steer it in **AI Instructions** (tone, length, and the closing question) and approve the first batch. If you'd rather write the copy yourself, use a **Template** campaign. How many follow-ups does it send? The **Email Scheduler** manages the cadence and adds polite follow-ups automatically. For Get-Reply campaigns those follow-ups are where most replies come from, so let the sequence run rather than judging it on the first email alone. What is the Content Approval step? A gate that holds AI-written emails for a human yes/no before sending, with Approved and Rejected branches. It approves on timeout, so it protects your first sends without stalling the campaign. What reply rate should I aim for? It varies by audience and offer, but the lever is always the same: relevance plus one easy question. If opens are healthy and replies are thin, tighten the audience line and the **AI Instructions** before adding volume. ## 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/)