This feature is available on Nutshell Marketing Foundation and above. Decision steps (branching conditions) require Marketing Pro.
Smart sequences let you automate follow-up that responds to what people do, like opening an email, clicking a link, or filling out a form. Instead of sending everyone the same messages, you can build one sequence that includes emails and actions like adding a tag or creating a lead, and Nutshell automatically sends each person down the path that matches what they've done so far.
Getting started
To get started:
Go to Marketing > Smart sequences
Click Create new smart sequence
You can Start from scratch, our built-in Templates or Copy existing, then open the sequence to configure it.
On the sequence page, you'll work in three tabs:
Settings: define your start trigger, goal, and next step, and set up sending options like your From address and business hours. You'll also see a preview of your workflow here, with an Edit sequence button that opens the editor when you're ready to build it out.
Engagement: see how each email in the sequence is performing, like open rate, click rate, and unsubscribes
Recipients: see who's enrolled, where they are in the workflow, and stats like completion and drop-off rate.
Add a start trigger
From the Settings tab, add a start trigger so Nutshell knows when someone should enter your sequence. You can add more than one start trigger to the same sequence.
Possible triggers include:
Tag is added to a person: begins the sequence for anyone who receives that tag
Lead is created: begins the sequence when a new lead is created
Lead stage is entered: begins the sequence when a lead is in a specific stage
Lead is closed: begins the sequence when a lead is marked as closed
Person is added to an audience: begins the sequence when someone joins that audience
Add a goal
Adding a goal to your Smart sequence, while optional, lets you measure how well it's working. Once a person meets the goal, Nutshell takes them out of the sequence entirely, no matter which path they were on. You can also set up next steps that happen automatically once a goal is met, like adding a tag or updating an audience.
Configure your sequence details
Choose your verified From address, decide if you'd like to only send during business hours, add UTM parameters to your links, or stop sending when a related lead is closed.
Add steps to your workflow
From Settings, click Edit sequence to open the editor and start adding the pieces of your workflow. Click the plus icon on a connection between steps to add an action:
Send an email: write a new message or start from an existing one
Add wait: pause for a set amount of time before the next step
Add decision: split people onto Yes or No paths based on a condition
Add or remove a tag: update a person's tags as they move through the sequence
Add or remove from audience: update which audiences a person belongs to
Create a lead: start a new lead for the pipeline you choose
Start new sequence: move a person into another Smart sequence
Drag steps into the order you want, configure each one in the sidebar, and save your work before you activate.
How conditions branch a sequence
Add condition splits contacts onto Yes and No paths. Set Wait up to so Nutshell has time to see whether the condition is met before sending someone down the No path.
Conditions you can use include:
Previous email was opened
Any link in previous email was clicked
Specific link in previous email(s) was clicked
Web page was viewed
Form was completed
Reply was received
Contact has tag
Custom field matches value
Custom field is set
Use conditions when follow-up should change based on behavior—for example send a different email if someone clicked, or create a lead if they completed a form.
Prepare to activate your Smart sequence
When you're ready, click Activate sequence in the top right corner. Nutshell checks for anything missing, like an incomplete email or an unverified sender, before your sequence goes live. You'll see warnings/alerts to help ensure your sequence is configured correctly.
Pause your Smart sequence
Need to take a break from sending? Click Pause sequence. People already in the sequence will keep moving through instant actions like lead creation and tag updates, but they'll pause on wait or email steps until you resume the sequence.
After a sequence is active, some edits will ask you to pause first, especially changes that affect branching or people currently on a step. Follow the prompts in the editor so everyone keeps moving correctly when you save.
Track recipients and engagement
Once your sequence is active, here's where you can check on it:
Open the Engagement tab to see overall message performance, like messages delivered, open rate, click rate, unsubscribe rate, and bounce rate, plus a breakdown for each individual email in the sequence
Open the Recipients tab to see workflow level stats, like active recipients, average time in sequence, completion rate, and drop-off rate, along with the list of people enrolled
From Settings, the sequence preview shows live counts on each step and branch, like how many people are waiting, how many entered a path, and delivery and open rates for each email
On a person, lead, or company page, open the Emails & sequences widget and select a Smart sequence row to see where that person is in the flow and which emails they've received. You can remove someone from the sequence from there when needed.
Tips for best results
Put a wait before the next email so people have time to engage
Use Add condition only when the Yes and No paths should truly differ
Fix alerts in the editor (missing content, unconfigured steps) before you activate
Review Recipients after launch to confirm people are progressing as you expect
Keep your verified sender address and unsubscribe content in place on every email
FAQs
Do I need Marketing Pro?
You can build and run Smart sequences on Marketing Foundation and above. Decision steps (branching conditions) require Marketing Pro.
Can I edit a sequence after it’s active?
Yes. You can update content and settings; some changes ask you to pause first or confirm how to handle people currently on a step. Follow the prompts in the editor when you save.
Do my marketing emails still need an unsubscribe link?
Yes. Including an unsubscribe link in your marketing emails is required. This is because it's legally mandated by spam laws like CAN-SPAM, which require recipients to be able to easily opt out of future messages. It also helps with email deliverability and builds trust with the people you're emailing.
With Nutshell's Email preference center, you can direct recipients to a page where they can choose which audiences they'd like to stay subscribed to.