---
title: "Email Sequence: Definition and Examples"
description: "An email sequence is a series of pre-written emails sent automatically to a contact on a set schedule, such as day 1, day 4 and day 9, that stops for that..."
path: /glossary/email-sequence
family: glossary
updated: 2026-10-17
html: /glossary/email-sequence
sources:
  - "https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/create-and-edit-sequences"
  - "https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/quick-cadences-for-sales-teams/define-your-outreach-task"
facts:
  term: "Email sequence"
  also_called: "email cadence, follow-up sequence, automated email sequence, sales sequence, outreach sequence"
  category: "Sales"
---

# Email sequence

An email sequence is a series of pre-written emails sent automatically to a contact on a set schedule, such as day 1, day 4 and day 9, that stops for that contact when they reply, book a meeting or unsubscribe.

## What Is Email Sequence?

**In short:** Each step has a delay and a condition.

Step 1 goes out when the contact is enrolled, step 2 a few business days later if there is no reply, and so on. Follow-ups often thread under the first email so the prospect sees the history, and variables fill in each contact's name, company and custom lines. In HubSpot, a sequence holds up to 10 email templates plus any number of task reminders.

Sequences exist because one email rarely gets a reply on its own: people miss it, mean to answer later or need a second reason. A good sequence adds something at each step, such as a customer result, a different pain point or a simpler ask, instead of just bumping the thread.

## Email Sequence Example

For example, a four-step sequence goes to 800 HR directors: an intro naming one problem on day 1, a customer result on day 4, a different angle on day 9 and a short close-out on day 16. Of 36 replies, 15 come from step 1, 11 from step 2, 6 from step 3 and 4 from step 4, so 58% arrive after the first email.

## Email Sequence in Practice

A sales sequence differs from a marketing drip campaign in purpose and exit rules. A drip campaign nurtures many leads with content over weeks; a sales sequence aims for one reply from one person and ends when they respond. HubSpot, for example, unenrolls a contact by default when they reply or book a meeting. Outbound teams test step count, timing and copy per segment and track replies and meetings per step.

## FAQ

### What is the difference between an email sequence and a drip campaign?

A drip campaign sends marketing content on a schedule, often to many leads at once. A sales email sequence is a personal outreach series that stops for each contact as soon as they reply or book a meeting.

### How many emails should be in a sequence?

There is no fixed rule. Add a step only when it brings new information, then keep the length that books more meetings for that segment.

### What is the difference between a sequence and a cadence?

They mean the same thing. HubSpot calls a multi-step outreach plan a sequence; Salesforce calls it a cadence.

### What stops an email sequence?

A reply, a booked meeting, an unsubscribe or a bounce, depending on the tool's settings. HubSpot unenrolls contacts by default when they reply or book a meeting.

## Do this in Ken

### Do This in Ken

Build the sequence in Campaigns as email and LinkedIn steps, and work the replies in Inbox.

- Link: [Do This in Ken](/how-it-works)

## Related

- [GTM Glossary](/glossary): Every GTM term, grouped by topic.
- [Cold email](/glossary/cold-email)
- [Drip campaign](/glossary/drip-campaign)
- [Sales engagement platform](/glossary/sales-engagement-platform)
- [A/B testing](/glossary/ab-testing)
- [Sales automation](/glossary/sales-automation)
- [How Ken works](/how-it-works)

## Sources

| Source | URL | Checked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HubSpot Knowledge Base: Create and edit sequences | https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/create-and-edit-sequences | 2026-10-17 |
| Salesforce Trailhead: Define your outreach task (cadences) | https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/quick-cadences-for-sales-teams/define-your-outreach-task | 2026-10-17 |

## Changelog

- 2026-10-17: Page published.