Gmail Email Sequence

The Gmail Multi-Step Email Campaign template sends a drip sequence (intro plus follow-ups) to contacts in a Google Sheet. Follow-ups only go out when the contact hasn't replied to the Gmail thread. This guide covers everything the template needs to work: the sheet layout, the emailSequence variable, workflow variables, and how step tracking behaves.

How it works

Each scheduled run:

1. Reads all contact rows from your sheet.
2. Filters out replied / unsubscribed / bounced contacts.
3. Keeps only rows due today for their current step (based on step and first_emailed).
4. For follow-ups, checks the Gmail thread — if the contact replied, marks them replied and skips.
5. Sends the email for the contact's current step, then writes the send date, thread id, status, and the next step back to the sheet.

One run sends one step per contact. The next step goes out on a later run once its day offset is due.

1. Google Sheet setup

Create a sheet with a header row using these exact column names (the workflow matches columns by header, so spelling matters):

Warning: Use thread_id, not threadId. A mismatched header means the workflow can't find the thread — reply detection silently stops working.

New leads should have step empty or 0, and first_emailed, thread_id, status all blank. The workflow fills them in.

2. Workflow variables

Open the workflow's Variables and set:

Warning: Published workflows run the published definition. After editing any variable (including emailSequence), you must Publish again for scheduled runs to pick up the change.

3. The emailSequence array

This variable defines every email in the sequence. Each entry is an object with exactly these properties:

[
  {
    "day": 0,
    "subject": "Nice to meet you",
    "body": "Hi {{name}} — was wondering whether {{company}} would be interested in a quick call?"
  },
  {
    "day": 3,
    "subject": "Re: Nice to meet you",
    "body": "Hi {{name}}, just wanted to check in on this. Let me know if there's any interest!"
  },
  {
    "day": 7,
    "subject": "Re: Nice to meet you",
    "body": "{{name}}, just wanted to give this one last try."
  }
]

Rules that matter:

• The timing property must be named day. Entries with a step property instead of day fall back to day: 0 and break follow-up timing.
• day values are anchored to first_emailed, not to the previous send. 0, 3, 7 means day 0, then 3 days after the first email, then 7 days after the first email. Keep them increasing.
• Add as many entries as you like. The sequence is generic: a contact advances one entry per send and drops out automatically after the last entry (step reaches the array length).
• Placeholders ({{name}}, {{company}}, {{email}}, or any sheet column) are replaced per contact.

4. Step and status lifecycle

After every successful send, Update Contact Row writes back:

Warning: If you customize Update Contact Row, the step column must use the pick node's nextStep output (e.g. {{context.pick-next-contact.output.contact.nextStep}}), not step or sequenceStep. Writing the current step back causes the same email to send on every run and the sequence never finishes.

5. Advance step rules (safety net)

The Due for Sequence and Scan Sequence Contact nodes include an Advance step rules config:

[
  {
    "atStep": 0,
    "toStep": 1,
    "whenAnyFieldSet": ["first_emailed"],
    "whenStatusEquals": [{ "field": "status", "value": "active" }]
  }
]

This handles rows where the intro clearly went out (first_emailed set or status is active) but the sheet step is still 0 — the row is treated as step 1 instead of being stuck or double-sent. Keep toStep at 1; jumping further skips sequence entries.

6. Testing the sequence

1. Set every entry's day to 0 so all steps are due immediately (restore real offsets afterwards).
2. Reset your test row: step → 0, clear first_emailed, thread_id, and status.
3. Publish (required after variable edits).
4. Run the workflow once per step. Each run should send the next entry and increment step by 1.

With real day offsets, remember: the third email in a 0 / 3 / 7 sequence cannot send until 7 days after first_emailed, no matter how many times the workflow runs.

Troubleshooting

Related

• Transform catalog — Sheet & email sequences for the underlying transform nodes
• Workflow variables for how variables work in general