> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.growthxai.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How to Build a Sequence > Design multi-step LinkedIn and email flows on a visual canvas, with branches, delays and CRM updates. A sequence is the path each lead follows: the steps, the waits between them, and the branches depending on what the lead does. Only **Owners** and **Managers** can create or edit sequences. Everyone else sees them read-only. ## Create one Go to **Sequences → New sequence**, enter a **Name** (for example *Founders — invite + 2 follow-ups*) and an optional **Client**, then click **Create and open**. The Sequences list shows each sequence's status, sender pool and counts (live, completed, replied, sent, queued). From the **…** menu you can **Duplicate**, **Archive**, or **Delete** a sequence. Only draft or archived sequences can be deleted. ## The builder The builder has the **step palette** on the left, the **canvas** in the middle, the **step settings** on the right, and a **validation bar** along the bottom. Click a step in the palette, or drag it onto the canvas. Steps are grouped as Outreach, Social, Logic, CRM, Integrations, AI and Flow. See the [step reference](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/sequence-nodes). Drag from one step's handle to the next. Steps that branch have one labeled handle per outcome, for example **connected** / **no connect** on Wait for connection. Error-type outcomes are red, and false or no-connect outcomes are amber. Click a step to edit it on the right: the message text, the **Wait before this step** delay (1 day ±20% by default), and the **Execution mode**: * **Auto** runs inside the sender's schedule and budgets. * **Manual** creates a task, and the step runs when a teammate completes it. Every path must reach an **End** step. Use **Auto-layout** to tidy the canvas and **Fit** to zoom to it. On a sequence that has never been activated, **Save** (`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `S`) writes the steps and creates a [version](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/version-history). Once it has been activated, your edits go into an auto-saved **draft** and the button becomes **Publish**, which first shows you who the change affects. See [Drafts and publishing](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/draft-and-publish). ## Top bar | Control | What it does | | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Pool** | The senders that run this sequence. Only **Connected** senders can be added. Changing the pool on a live sequence offers to [move waiting leads](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/editing-a-live-sequence#changing-the-sender-pool). | | **Assignment** | How leads are spread across the pool. See [Assignment rules](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/launch-and-enroll-leads#how-leads-are-given-a-sender). | | **Use sender schedule** | Run steps only inside each sender's working hours (on by default) | | **Settings** | Reply behaviour, out-of-office, enrichment, client and AI brief (below) | | **Versions** | [Version history](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/version-history) and which leads are on which version | | **Auto-enrol** | [Rules that enrol leads on their own](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/auto-enrol-rules) | | **Projection** | Estimate how long N leads take on this pool | | **Failed leads** | See why leads failed, then [retry, skip or exit](/sequences/sequence-troubleshooting/recover-failed-leads) | | **Why isn't this sending?** | Runs a diagnosis on the spot and answers in plain words | ## Sequence settings Open **Settings** in the top bar. On a running sequence these take effect when you publish. ### When a lead replies **Stop the sequence for that lead** is on by default. Then choose the scope: * **Stop this lead everywhere** (default) — a reply on any channel, to any sender, stops every sequence that lead is in. This is what you want: an email reply should stop the LinkedIn follow-up too. * **Only stop the sender they replied to** — other senders and mailboxes keep going. Rarely what you want. ### After a reply * **Exit the lead** (default) — the sequence ends and you carry on in the Inbox. * **Hold for review** — the lead waits on the attention list, and one click resumes the sequence or exits the lead. Set **Exit held leads after (days)**, 30 by default, so nobody is held forever. ### Out-of-office replies **Resume the lead later** is on by default, after **7 days**. If the auto-reply names a return date, that date is used instead. Turn it off and an out-of-office ends the sequence like any other reply. ### Before the first step * **Wait for profile enrichment before the first step** — the lead starts once its [profile data](/ai-and-data/profile-enrichment) has arrived, or after 72 hours, whichever comes first. * **Hold leads until AI-written lines are approved** — the lead waits instead of sending the [fallback text](/ai-and-data/ai-variables-and-review). ### General | Setting | What it does | | --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Client** | Which client this sequence belongs to | | **Withdraw pending invitations after (days)** | Default 21. 0 turns automatic withdrawal off. | | **Brief for AI** | Background the AI uses when drafting copy and reviewing the sequence | ## Letting AI draft copy **Send invitation**, **Send message** and **Comment on post** have a **Let AI draft** option with an **AI brief** field. You can also use the **AI draft + approval** step. AI drafts are never sent on their own. Each one becomes a **Review AI draft** task, where a teammate edits, approves or rejects it. See [Tasks](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/manual-tasks-and-ai-drafts). ## Validation The bar at the bottom shows **Graph is valid**, or the number of errors and warnings. Click an item to jump to the step it's about. * An invitation note is too long: 300 characters, or 200 if a free LinkedIn account is in the pool. [Spintax](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/personalization-variables#spintax) is measured at its **longest** combination. * A message, comment or InMail is over its [limit](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/personalization-variables#character-limits). * **Wait for connection** has no *connected* branch. * There's no path to an **End** step. * A step points to a step that doesn't exist. * There's a **Send email** step, but no mailbox in the pool. * A **Send message** step has no invitation, wait for connection or InMail before it, and isn't set to send always. * A step has more than 5 variants, or its variant weights are all zero. * An **A/B split** or **AI routing** step has a branch with nothing connected. * A condition is missing its true or false branch. * AI drafting is on, but there's no brief. * A tag, list, stage, sequence or webhook hasn't been selected. * A step can't be reached from Start. * An email step has no `{{unsubscribe_link}}`. * A voice-note step has a pool sender with no recorded clip. ## Related articles * [Sequence Nodes](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/sequence-nodes) * [Drafts, Publishing and Version Pinning](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/draft-and-publish) * [Personalization Variables and Fallbacks](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/personalization-variables) * [How to Launch a Sequence and Enroll Leads](/sequences/creating-managing-sequences/launch-and-enroll-leads)