Why it matters
Adding contacts to a sequence determines who will receive the automated messages and actions in that workflow. Clear enrollment rules help avoid duplicates, prevent over-messaging, and ensure each contact enters the correct step at the right time.
Key Concepts
Sequence enrollment: The process of adding contacts into a sequence so they can begin receiving steps.
Start step: The step from which the contact begins the sequence.
Channels: The sending channels (SMS, Email, etc.) used when enrolling a contact.
Audience sources: The ways contacts can be selected, including manual search, tags, groups, uploads, or individual creation.
Scheduling enrollment: Optional controls to add contacts now or at a specific future date and time.
Step-by-Step: Add Contacts to a Sequence
Go to Sequences from the left navigation.
Select the sequence you want to enroll contacts into.
Click Add Contacts in the top-right corner.
Choose the channel to use for sending sequence messages.
Select your audience source:
Contacts: Search and select individual contacts.
Tags: Enroll all contacts with one or more selected tags.
Groups: Use predefined contact groups.
Uploads: Select a previously uploaded contact list.
Optional: Create a new contact if someone is not already in the system.
Optional: Paste or upload contacts to create a new list during enrollment. Supported file types include:
.csv,.tsv,.txt,.xls,.xlsx,.xmlMap fields to the correct headers before saving.
Choose the start step:
Start from the beginning
Or select a specific step
Select Schedule add to sequence:
Add now
Add later (choose date, time, and time zone)
Review the audience size and confirmed channel mapping.
Click Add to Sequence to finalize enrollment.
Tips and Best Practices
Review sequence settings before adding contacts to avoid unwanted duplicates.
Use tags or segments to maintain consistent enrollment criteria.
When using uploads, ensure phone numbers and headers map correctly.
Use scheduled enrollment for time-sensitive workflows (for example “add tomorrow at 8am”).
Start contacts on later steps only when the workflow is intentionally designed for mid-sequence entry.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Possible Cause | Fix |
Contact not added | Missing required fields or blocked contact | Update contact details or unblock contact |
Wrong channel used | Incorrect selection during enrollment | Re-add contact with correct channel |
Contact added multiple times | Frequency limits not set | Adjust sequence settings to restrict re-enrollment |
Upload fails | File format or header mismatch | Use supported file types and confirm header mapping |