Email Sequence

Quick path

Create a Email sequence and enroll candidates.

  1. Select candidates

    Where: Candidate profileSequence

  2. Add to sequence

    Where: Add to sequenceEmail

  3. Create a sequence

    Where: Add to Sequence+ Create new email sequence

  4. Set the schedule

    Where: Sending scheduleCreate sequence

  5. Activate

    Where: Add to SequenceSave and activate sequence

  6. Manage sequences

    Where: SidebarEmail Sequences

An Email Sequence sends personalized emails to candidates on the schedule you configure. A detected candidate reply stops further steps for that candidate; detected automatic replies, such as out-of-office messages, can pause the sequence instead. You can save a candidate without starting their sequence, then activate it later.

Before you start

  • Email sequences must be enabled for your organization. If Email is unavailable in the channel picker, ask your Scout admin or Scout Support about access.
  • Connect an engagement mailbox through Outlook or IMAP. Without a connected mailbox, enrolled candidates stay pending and emails are not sent. Scout displays a No email account connected warning with a link to integration settings.
  • A candidate needs an email address on their profile. When you select multiple candidates, Scout can add the ones with addresses and skip the rest. If none have an address, the panel shows Email addresses required.
  • The sender’s schedule controls the allowed sending days, hours and time zone. Scout may adjust delivery timing slightly.
  • Sequences are listed for the user who created them. A sequence you create is not a shared team sequence.

Steps

CREATE an email sequence

  1. Select candidates in New Search, Talent Map or a project and click Add to sequence. On a candidate profile, choose Add to Sequence from the actions menu, or open the Sequence tab and click Add to sequence.
  2. Choose Email in the channel picker.
  3. In Add to Sequence, click + Create new email sequence.
  4. Enter a Sequence name. Scout may prefill the first step with suggested sample copy. Review and personalize it before sending.
  5. Edit the email Subject and Editor body. Use the token buttons to personalize messages. Available candidate-sourcing tokens are candidate first name, candidate last name, candidate full name, your company name and your full name. Preview substitutes example values; the saved message retains the tokens for personalization.
  6. Choose whether to Send first email immediately. When this is off, the first step’s delay applies. To keep follow-ups in the same email thread, enable Send as reply to previous email. This option is available only when the sequence has more than one step.
  7. Click Add step to add follow-ups. Set each step’s delay in hours or days. A sequence can have up to 5 steps and must have at least one. Every email step needs both a subject and a message body.

    New Email Sequence Panel

  8. Click Configure sending schedule. Choose the sending days, start and end times, and time zone. New sequences default to Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Scout initially selects a time zone matching your browser when available; otherwise, the default is Singapore time. There is no separate all-day option in this form.

    Configure Sending Schedule

  9. Click Create sequence. This creates the sequence and returns you to Add to Sequence with it selected. Creation does not enroll or start candidates by itself.

ENROLL candidates in a sequence

  1. Select candidates and choose Add to sequence, then choose Email.
  2. In Add to Sequence, choose a sequence from the Sequence dropdown. The panel shows its steps and sending schedule so you can check the configuration before enrolling.
  3. Choose what happens next:
    • Save sequence and don’t activate enrolls eligible candidates without starting sends. You can activate the sequence later.
    • Save and activate sequence enrolls and starts eligible candidates. Sending still follows the configured schedule and requires a connected mailbox.

If some selected candidates have no email address, Scout adds only those with an address. Candidates already enrolled in the selected sequence are skipped. Adding an archived candidate restores their previous enrolment without resending messages already sent. Restored enrolments may be scheduled, paused or stopped depending on their previous progress and replies; restoration does not guarantee sending resumes. A partially sent enrolment cannot be restored while the candidate is active in another sequence. New enrolments can be saved while another sequence is active, but cannot be activated until that sequence stops.

EDIT a sequence

  1. Open Email Sequences from the sidebar and click Edit for a sequence.
  2. On the Edit tab, update message subjects and bodies, delays, sequence settings or steps. You can have 1 to 5 steps. Click Save changes to save the edits. If a save fails, your edits remain on the page so you can try again.
  3. On the Schedule tab, edit sending days, hours or time zone and click Save schedule. The page shows Unsaved changes until saved. If saving fails, your changes remain available to retry.
  4. The Overview tab shows sequence statistics and enrolled candidates. If you leave with unsaved changes, choose Leave to discard them or Keep editing to stay.

    Edit Email Sequence Page

MANAGE email sequences

In Email Sequences, search the currently visible page by sequence name with Search visible sequences, filter that page by Status, and use Columns to show or hide optional columns. Select rows to Archive several sequences. The list shows sequences created by your user account.

The table’s Audience counts show Active, Messaged and Total candidates. The Engagement counts show Views, Clicks and Replies. Progress shows Completed and Stopped counts. These are counts, not the sequence’s overall status. The status filter includes statuses such as Scheduled, Active, Paused, Stopped, Archived and delivery errors.

Use View to open the sequence. The Overview tab includes candidate names, roles, recent projects, current step, and view and click counts; hover over or focus a count to inspect event details where available. Search and filter this table by name, job title, location or current step. Use the row’s switch to start or stop an individual candidate, or Archive from sequence to remove them from this sequence. You can select multiple candidates and archive them from Bulk actions. Archived enrolments can be restored by adding that candidate to the same sequence again.

Use the sequence row’s switch to activate or deactivate the sequence. If the current status cannot be refreshed, use Retry status before changing sending. Delete in the row’s menu archives the sequence from the active list, although the confirmation dialog warns that the action cannot be undone. Confirm the action in the dialog.

Manage Email Sequences Table

What you should see

Successfully activated candidates appear in the overview with their current step. Emails are sent from the connected mailbox according to the configured schedule. A detected candidate reply stops further steps for that candidate; a detected automatic reply can pause sending instead. Check each candidate’s current step and status rather than treating the aggregate Completed and Stopped counts as a delivery record.

Common problems

Problem Cause Fix
Email addresses required None of the selected candidates has an email address available for enrollment Select candidates with email addresses or enrich the profile. If only some candidates are missing addresses, Scout can add the others.
No email account connected No Outlook or IMAP engagement mailbox is connected Open Go to integrations settings or connect Outlook or IMAP. Enrolled candidates remain pending until a mailbox is connected.
Email is unavailable in the channel picker Email engagement is not enabled for your organization Ask your Scout admin or Scout Support about access.
A candidate cannot be activated in this sequence They are active in another sequence, have completed this sequence, or activation failed Stop the other sequence first if applicable. Review the activation error and the candidate’s current step and status in the sequence overview.
Messages have not arrived yet The candidate is not active, the schedule window has not opened, or there is no connected mailbox Check the sequence and candidate status, the schedule and No email account connected warning. See Troubleshooting.

Frequently asked questions

Does creating a sequence start sending?

No. Creating the sequence returns you to Add to Sequence. Enroll candidates and choose Save and activate sequence to start sending, or save without activating and start later.

What happens when a candidate replies?

When Scout detects a candidate’s reply to a sequence message, it stops further steps for that candidate, records the reply in Replies and shows Replied in their current step. Detected automatic replies, such as out-of-office messages, can pause the sequence instead. Other candidates in the sequence continue independently.

Can I add someone who is already in another active sequence?

For a new enrolment, yes: Scout can save it, but cannot activate it until the candidate’s other active sequence stops. Candidates already in this exact sequence are skipped. Adding an archived candidate restores the previous enrolment without resending already-sent messages, but a partially sent enrolment cannot be restored while another sequence is active. Completed or replied enrolments remain stopped when restored.

Can I send follow-ups in the same email thread?

Yes. Turn on Send as reply to previous email. It is disabled until you add a second step.

Pro Sourcing Tip

Personalize the first email, then use later steps to add useful context or a concise nudge. Preview token substitutions before activating the sequence.