| name | sales-apollo-sequences |
| description | Manages outbound sequences in Apollo.io — create, configure, optimize deliverability, and analyze performance. Use when Apollo emails are going to spam, sequence open rates are low, A/B tests aren't producing clear winners, mailboxes keep getting throttled, sequence stats don't look right, or emails just aren't sending. Do NOT use for designing cadence strategy and content (use /sales-cadence), general Apollo platform help (use /sales-apollo), or non-Apollo sequence tools (use /email-sequence). |
| argument-hint | [describe what you need — e.g., 'set up a new sequence' or 'fix my deliverability'] |
| license | MIT |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| tags | ["sales","outbound","sequences","cadence","platform"] |
| github | https://github.com/apolloio |
Manage Apollo Sequences
Help the user create, configure, and optimize outbound sequences in Apollo.io — from sequence setup through deliverability management, A/B testing, and performance analysis. For cadence strategy and messaging content, use /sales-cadence — this skill covers the Apollo-specific execution layer.
Step 1 — Gather context
If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge.
Ask the user:
-
What do you need help with?
- A) Create a new sequence from scratch
- B) Fix deliverability issues (emails going to spam, low open rates)
- C) Set up A/B testing in a sequence
- D) Analyze sequence performance and optimize
- E) Configure mailboxes and sending settings
- F) Troubleshoot a sequence that's not sending
- G) Import a sequence from another tool
- H) Other — describe it
-
What's your current setup?
- How many mailboxes/email accounts are connected?
- What's your daily sending volume per mailbox?
- How long have the mailboxes been active?
- Are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configured for your sending domain?
-
What Apollo plan are you on?
- Free (2 active sequences, limited features)
- Basic (unlimited sequences, no A/B testing)
- Professional (A/B testing, dialer, workflows)
- Organization (advanced analytics, custom reports)
If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step. Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end — don't gate your response behind gathering complete context.
Step 2 — Sequence setup in Apollo
Read references/platform-guide.md for detailed module documentation, pricing, integrations, and data model.
Key settings — configure these for every sequence (non-negotiable):
- Stop on reply: Always enable. Auto-pause the sequence when a prospect replies. There is zero reason to keep emailing someone who responded — it damages trust and wastes sends.
- Stop on meeting booked: Always enable. Once the goal is achieved, stop the sequence.
- Business hours sending: Always enable. Send during the recipient's business hours (typically 8am-6pm in their timezone). Emails arriving at 2am look automated and get buried.
- Daily send limits: Start conservative — 50-100 emails/day per mailbox for warm, established mailboxes. For new mailboxes, start at 20-30/day and ramp up over 2-3 weeks. Exceeding safe limits tanks sender reputation fast.
- Delay between steps: Use 2-3 business days between email steps. Shorter gaps feel aggressive; longer gaps lose momentum. Increase to 4-5 days after 3+ unreplied emails to avoid fatigue.
- Sequence type: Use Automatic for email-only sequences (hands-off, sends on schedule). Use Manual for multi-channel sequences that include calls or LinkedIn steps — Auto mode skips non-email steps entirely.
For full cadence strategy — including messaging arc, multi-channel touch patterns, and email copy — use /sales-cadence.
You no longer need the platform guide details — focus on the user's specific situation.
Gotchas
-
Don't launch sequences without verifying domain authentication. Claude often generates sequence setup guides without checking SPF/DKIM/DMARC. Missing domain auth is the #1 cause of emails landing in spam. Check it before anything else.
-
Don't set high daily sending limits on new mailboxes. New mailboxes must be ramped up gradually (20-30/day → 50-75/day over 2-3 weeks). Claude defaults to recommending 100+ sends/day, which will tank deliverability on a fresh mailbox.
-
Don't use Apollo's "Auto" sequence type for multi-channel cadences. Auto sequences only work for email steps. If the cadence includes calls or LinkedIn touches, use "Manual" sequence type — otherwise those steps are skipped entirely.
-
Don't evaluate A/B tests too early. Claude will analyze test results after 30-40 sends. You need at least 100 sends per variant for statistically meaningful results. Premature conclusions lead to wrong optimizations.
-
Don't ignore the Deliverability Command Center. Apollo has a built-in deliverability monitoring dashboard that most users never check. It shows domain health, bounce rates, spam complaints, and sending patterns. Review it weekly.
-
Self-improving: If you discover something not covered here, append it to references/learnings.md with today's date.
Related skills
/sales-cadence — Handoff: for email copy strategy, A/B testing frameworks, and multi-channel cadence design beyond Apollo. Once your Apollo sequence is configured, use /sales-cadence to write the actual email copy, design the messaging arc across steps, plan multi-channel touch patterns, and build A/B testing strategies for content. This skill handles Apollo execution; /sales-cadence handles the content and strategy layer./sales-apollo — General Apollo platform help (CRM sync, credits, admin)/sales-prospect-list — Build the prospect list to add to your sequences/sales-enrich — Verify and enrich contact data before sequencing/sales-salesloft — If using Salesloft for sequences instead of Apollo/sales-do — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do
Examples
Example 1: Setting up a new sequence
User says: "I need to set up a 5-step email sequence in Apollo for cold outbound to VP Marketing"
Skill does:
- Configures sequence settings (auto type, business hours, stop on reply)
- Sets up 5 steps with recommended timing gaps
- Configures mailbox rotation across 3 connected email accounts
- Walks through the deliverability checklist
Result: Sequence configured and ready for contacts — user runs
/sales-cadence to write the actual email copy
Example 2: Fixing deliverability
User says: "My Apollo sequence open rate dropped from 55% to 25% over the past month"
Skill does:
- Checks domain authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) status
- Reviews sending volume and mailbox health in Deliverability Command Center
- Identifies likely cause (sending volume spike, domain reputation issue, or content triggering spam filters)
- Recommends remediation steps (reduce volume, warm up new mailbox, adjust content)
Result: Deliverability diagnosis with a recovery plan
Example 3: A/B test setup
User says: "I want to A/B test my first email's subject line in Apollo"
Skill does:
- Verifies the user is on Professional+ plan (A/B testing not available on Basic)
- Walks through creating Variant B in the sequence editor
- Sets 50/50 split and defines success metric (open rate for subject line tests)
- Recommends waiting for 100+ sends per variant before evaluating
Result: A/B test configured with clear evaluation criteria
Troubleshooting
Sequence not sending
Symptom: Contacts added to sequence but no emails going out
Cause: Mailbox not connected, sequence paused, contact missing email, or daily limit reached
Solution: Check sequence status (active?), verify mailbox connection in Settings > Email, confirm contacts have email addresses, review daily send limits.
Emails going to spam
Symptom: Open rates below 20%, recipients reporting spam
Cause: Missing domain auth, volume too high, spammy content, or domain reputation damage
Solution: Verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC. Reduce volume to 20-30/day per mailbox. Remove spam trigger words. Check domain reputation via Google Postmaster Tools.
High bounce rate
Symptom: Bounce rate above 3%
Cause: Stale email data, unverified addresses, or catch-all domain issues
Solution: Stop the sequence immediately. Verify remaining contacts via /sales-enrich. Remove bounced contacts. Clean your list before resuming.
