# Mission 4: Master the Sequencer

> Create an email sequence from your campaign, configure steps with timing and templates, add contacts, and launch

Source: https://docs.graph8.com/training/growth-manager/sequencer/

## What you'll learn

- How to create a sequence linked to your campaign
- How to configure email steps with subject lines, body content, and send delays
- How to add contacts to the sequence
- How to review settings and launch

> **Tip:**
> A sequence is the execution layer of your campaign. The campaign provides the strategy and content -- the sequence delivers it to real inboxes on a schedule.

## Create a sequence from your campaign

1. **Open your campaign**

   Navigate to **Campaigns** in the left sidebar and click into the campaign you created in Mission 3.

2. **Click Create Sequence**

   Look for the **Create Sequence** action (or navigate to **Engage -> Sequences** and click **New Sequence**). If creating from the campaign, the sequence is automatically linked and pre-populated with campaign content.

3. **Name your sequence**

   Enter a descriptive name, for example: "Acme Corp -- Q1 Outbound -- Decision Makers". A clear name helps you find it later when managing multiple active sequences.

## Configure email steps

1. **Add the first email step**

   Click **Add Step** and select **Email**. The step editor opens with fields for subject line, body content, and sender.

2. **Set the subject line and body**

   If the sequence was created from a campaign, the first email may already be pre-filled from your campaign documents. Review and adjust the subject line and body copy. Use merge fields like `{{first_name}}` and `{{company_name}}` for personalization.

3. **Set the send delay**

   For the first step, the delay is typically **0 days** (send immediately on enrollment). Configure the send window -- the time range during which emails are allowed to go out (e.g., 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM in the contact's timezone).

4. **Add follow-up steps**

   Click **Add Step** again to add subsequent emails. A typical sequence has 3-5 email steps. Set delays between steps -- common patterns are:
   - Step 2: 3 days after Step 1
   - Step 3: 4 days after Step 2
   - Step 4: 5 days after Step 3

5. **Write follow-up content**

   Each follow-up should build on the previous message. Reference your campaign documents for messaging consistency. Vary the angle -- if Step 1 focuses on a pain point, Step 2 might share a case study, and Step 3 could offer a meeting.

> **Tip:**
> Keep your first email under 150 words. Shorter first touches consistently outperform longer ones. Save the detail for follow-ups.

## Add contacts to the sequence

1. **Open the Contacts tab**

   Inside your sequence, click the **Contacts** tab.

2. **Add contacts**

   Click **Add Contacts**. You can add contacts from:
   - **A list** -- select a pre-built contact list
   - **Manual selection** -- search and add individual contacts
   - **CSV import** -- upload a file with contact data

3. **Review contact details**

   Verify that each contact has the required fields: **email**, **first name**, **last name**, and **company name**. Contacts missing required fields will be flagged and skipped during execution.

4. **Check for duplicates**

   The platform automatically checks for contacts already enrolled in this or other active sequences. Review any flagged duplicates and decide whether to proceed or exclude them.

## Review and launch

1. **Preview the full sequence**

   Step back and review all steps in order. Click the **Preview** option on each email to see exactly what the contact will receive, with merge fields populated from sample data.

2. **Check sequence settings**

   Verify:
   - **Sender email** is correct and authenticated
   - **Send window** matches the target audience's working hours
   - **Timezone** handling is set (contact timezone or a fixed timezone)
   - **Unsubscribe handling** is enabled

3. **Activate the sequence**

   Click **Activate** (or **Launch**) to start the sequence. Contacts will begin receiving emails according to the schedule you configured.

4. **Confirm activation**

   Check that the sequence status changes to **Active**. The first batch of emails will process at the next available send window.

> **Tip:**
> Send a test email to yourself before activating. Open it on both desktop and mobile to verify formatting, merge fields, and links.

## Mission complete

You have a live email sequence delivering your campaign content to real contacts on a defined schedule. The final mission covers how to monitor performance and optimize.

**Next mission:** [Mission 5: Monitor and Optimize](https://docs.graph8.com/training/growth-manager/optimize/)