# How to set up an email drip sequence in Stacks — Stacks Features > Build an automated email drip sequence in Stacks: choose a trigger (a new contact, or a tag you add), stack your emails with day-by-day waits, then activate. Stacks sends them on schedule, only to subscribed contacts, with a one-click unsubscribe. Free on every plan. Markdown version of https://stackscrm.com/features/email-drip-sequence — append `.md` to any page URL on this site (homepage: https://stackscrm.com/index.md). Index: https://stackscrm.com/llms.txt · Full site in one file: https://stackscrm.com/llms-full.txt --- #### Getting started - [Create your account](https://stackscrm.com/features/create-account-set-up-workspace) - [Invite your team](https://stackscrm.com/features/invite-team-set-roles) - [Your dashboard, explained](https://stackscrm.com/features/dashboard-tour) #### CRM - [Import your contacts](https://stackscrm.com/features/import-contacts) - [Add a contact](https://stackscrm.com/features/add-contact) - [Organize with tags](https://stackscrm.com/features/organize-contacts-with-tags) - [Manage your pipeline](https://stackscrm.com/features/manage-sales-pipeline) - [Add custom fields](https://stackscrm.com/features/add-custom-fields-to-contacts) - [Capture leads with a form](https://stackscrm.com/features/capture-leads-web-form) - [Export your contacts](https://stackscrm.com/features/export-contacts) #### Email marketing - [Send a campaign](https://stackscrm.com/features/send-email-campaign) - [Set up a drip sequence](https://stackscrm.com/features/email-drip-sequence) - [Grow your list](https://stackscrm.com/features/grow-email-list-opt-in-forms) #### Reviews - [Request a review](https://stackscrm.com/features/request-customer-reviews) - [Reply to reviews](https://stackscrm.com/features/reply-to-reviews-with-ai) - [Add the reviews widget](https://stackscrm.com/features/add-reviews-widget) #### Invoicing - [Create an invoice](https://stackscrm.com/features/create-and-send-invoice) - [Send an estimate](https://stackscrm.com/features/send-estimate-quote) - [Get paid online](https://stackscrm.com/features/payment-links) - [Recurring invoices](https://stackscrm.com/features/set-up-recurring-invoices) - [Expenses & profit](https://stackscrm.com/features/track-expenses-and-profit) - [Projects & billable time](https://stackscrm.com/features/bill-project-time) - [Ask AI about your numbers](https://stackscrm.com/features/ask-ai-financial-questions) #### Scheduling - [Set your availability](https://stackscrm.com/features/set-availability-take-bookings) - [Create an appointment type](https://stackscrm.com/features/create-appointment-type) - [Share your booking link](https://stackscrm.com/features/share-embed-booking-link) #### Support - [Manage support tickets](https://stackscrm.com/features/manage-support-tickets) #### Tasks & time - [Create & manage tasks](https://stackscrm.com/features/create-manage-tasks) - [Track & bill time](https://stackscrm.com/features/track-and-bill-time) #### AI & automation - [Turn on AI](https://stackscrm.com/features/turn-on-ai) - [Build an automation](https://stackscrm.com/features/build-an-automation) #### Connecting your tools - [Connect Stripe](https://stackscrm.com/features/connect-stripe-payments) - [Connect email provider](https://stackscrm.com/features/connect-email-provider) - [Connect Twilio (SMS)](https://stackscrm.com/features/connect-twilio-sms) - [Google Business Profile](https://stackscrm.com/features/connect-google-business-profile) - [Email deliverability](https://stackscrm.com/features/email-deliverability-spf-dkim-dmarc) #### Workspace and additional guides - [Review agent approvals](https://stackscrm.com/features/review-agent-approvals) - [Manage companies](https://stackscrm.com/features/manage-companies) - [Import from another CRM](https://stackscrm.com/features/import-crm-records) - [Manage email templates](https://stackscrm.com/features/manage-email-templates) - [Manage appointments](https://stackscrm.com/features/manage-appointments) - [Set up standing appointments](https://stackscrm.com/features/recurring-appointments) - [Review feedback reports](https://stackscrm.com/features/review-feedback-reports) - [Create review story images](https://stackscrm.com/features/manage-review-stories) - [Configure customer reviews](https://stackscrm.com/features/configure-reviews) - [Manage workspace settings](https://stackscrm.com/features/workspace-settings) - [Manage the product catalog](https://stackscrm.com/features/manage-products) - [Configure email alerts](https://stackscrm.com/features/configure-email-alerts) - [Use API keys and MCP](https://stackscrm.com/features/api-and-mcp-access) - [Read API activity](https://stackscrm.com/features/api-activity) - [Connect incoming lead webhooks](https://stackscrm.com/features/connect-lead-webhooks) - [Manage billing and AI credits](https://stackscrm.com/features/manage-billing-and-credits) - [Read workspace activity](https://stackscrm.com/features/workspace-activity) - [Request help from Stacks](https://stackscrm.com/features/request-platform-help) - [Triage platform requests](https://stackscrm.com/features/platform-request-triage) [Features](https://stackscrm.com/features) › [Email marketing](https://stackscrm.com/features#email-marketing) › **Set up an email drip sequence** # How to set up an email drip sequence in Stacks Email marketing · about 4 min · updated Aug 2026 A drip sequence is a series of emails that goes out on its own — a welcome series, a lead nurture, an onboarding flow — spaced over days. In Stacks you pick **who enters** (a new contact, or a tag you add), stack up the emails with a **wait** before each one, and hit Activate. From there Stacks sends them on schedule, only to people who've opted in, with a one-click unsubscribe on every message. ## Before you start - You'll build sequences from an **email template**. Each email in the series uses a reusable template for its body, so create at least one first under **Email → Templates**. If you have no templates, the builder will prompt you to make one. - You need permission to **manage email** — **admins and managers** can create, edit and activate sequences. Team members and view-only users can see them, but the New, Edit and Activate buttons only show for admins and managers. - Connect your **email provider** in Settings. A connected provider and running background jobs are required for delivery; check outcomes when messages do not arrive. - Drips are **marketing email**, so Stacks only sends to contacts who are **subscribed**. Contacts whose status is not subscribed are skipped. A stored subscription status is not itself evidence of permission; review the source of imported or manually added contacts. ## Step by step 1. **Open Sequences.** In Stacks, go to **Email** in the left menu and open **Sequences**. You'll see your list of sequences with each one's status, how many contacts are enrolled, and how many emails it has sent. Click **+ New Sequence**. 2. **Name it and choose who enters.** Give the sequence a clear name (up to 150 characters), then set **A contact enters this sequence when…** — either **A new contact is created** or **A tag is added to a contact**. Pick the tag option and a small box appears where you can limit it to *one specific tag* (for example *nurture*) — or leave it blank to enter on any tag. 3. **Add your emails.** Each email row has three parts: a **Wait N days** box, a **subject line**, and a **template** to pick for the body. Set the wait to **0** for the first email if you want it to go out as soon as someone enters. Click **+ Add email** to stack the next one, and set its wait — that wait counts from the previous email. You can add up to **12 emails**, with waits of up to **365 days**. 4. **Create the sequence.** Click **Create sequence**. Stacks saves it **Paused** on purpose, so nobody is enrolled until you've had a chance to read it through. You'll land on the edit screen. 5. **Review, then activate.** Check each subject and template, then click **Activate**. Stacks confirms "activated — new matches will be enrolled." From that moment, any contact that *newly* matches your trigger enters the sequence and starts receiving the emails on schedule. 💡 **Free on every plan.** Sequences are part of Email marketing — unlimited sequences, up to 12 emails each, no AI Pro upgrade to unlock them. The only things to have in place first are a **connected email provider** and **subscribed contacts** to send to. ## Good to know - **Enrollment is forward-looking.** A sequence enrolls contacts as they *newly* match — a contact is created, or the tag gets added — **after** you activate it. It doesn't blast your whole existing list. To pull an existing contact in, add the tag your sequence listens for. - **The first email can be instant.** An email with a **0-day** wait goes out as soon as a contact enters (in practice when the background worker processes the due step). Every email after that is measured from the one before it. - **Unsubscribes are handled for you.** Every drip email carries a one-click unsubscribe link. Before each send, Stacks checks that the contact is still subscribed and not on your suppression list — if not, that email is skipped. - **Watch it work.** The Sequences list and each sequence's header show **Enrolled** and **emails sent** counts, plus an **Active / Paused** badge, so you can see it running. - **Pause or edit anytime.** Pausing stops new contacts from enrolling without losing your setup. Editing replaces the email steps, so it's cleanest to **pause first**, make changes, then activate again. - **Deleting stops delivery.** Deleting a sequence removes it and stops enrolled contacts from receiving any more of its emails. ## Frequently asked Will this email my whole existing contact list? No. Contacts enroll only when they **newly match** the trigger after you activate — a fresh contact, or a tag you add. And Stacks only sends to people who are **subscribed**, so it won't surprise your unsubscribed or contacts whose subscription status is not subscribed. What does "starts paused" mean — when do the emails actually begin? A new sequence is saved **Paused** so you can review it safely. Nothing sends until you click **Activate**. After that, matching contacts enroll and the first email (with a 0-day wait) goes out when the background worker processes the due step. What happens if someone unsubscribes partway through? They stop receiving the rest. Each step re-checks consent and suppression right before it sends, so an unsubscribe or a bounce takes them out of the remaining emails automatically. Was this helpful? ## Related articles [Import your contacts →](https://stackscrm.com/features/import-contacts) [Build an automation →](https://stackscrm.com/features/build-an-automation) [Send your first campaign →](https://stackscrm.com/features/send-email-campaign) [Organize contacts with tags →](https://stackscrm.com/features/organize-contacts-with-tags) ### Put your follow-ups on autopilot. Core business tools, unlimited users, free forever. [Start free →](https://stackscrm.com/register) [Explore more features →](https://stackscrm.com/features)