> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hiveku.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Run a Cold Email Campaign

> Set up outbound email sequences with lead management and a unified inbox

Hiveku's outbound email tooling handles the full cycle: import leads, connect a sending account, build a multi-step sequence, and triage replies in a shared inbox.

## Overview

Cold email works best as a sequence: an initial message, a follow-up a few days later, and a final nudge. Hiveku automates the sending schedule while you focus on copy and list quality.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Import your leads">
    Go to **Marketing > Outbound > Leads**. You've got three ways to load leads:

    * **CSV upload** — download the template, fill in name, email, company, and any custom fields, then upload
    * **Manual add** — click **Add Lead** and enter details by hand
    * **Sync from CRM** — pull contacts from your Hiveku CRM with a filter (e.g., tag = `prospect`)
    * **Load a lead list** — use a saved list as the campaign audience

    <Info>
      Keep list sizes reasonable — 50-200 per sequence works better than 2,000. Quality beats volume.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect a sending email account">
    Go to **Settings > Email Accounts** and connect the inbox you'll send from. Gmail, Outlook, and IMAP are supported — see [/how-tos/connect-gmail](/how-tos/connect-gmail) and [/how-tos/connect-outlook](/how-tos/connect-outlook) for details.

    <Warning>
      Use a dedicated sending address on a warmed-up domain. Sending cold email from your main company inbox can damage your primary domain's deliverability.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a sequence">
    Go to **Marketing > Outbound > Sequences** and click **New Sequence**. Add steps:

    * **Day 1** — initial outreach
    * **Day 3** — follow-up ("wanted to bump this up")
    * **Day 7** — final nudge ("closing the loop")

    Each step has its own subject, body, and delay from the previous step.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Personalize with variables">
    Drop in variables so each email feels individual:

    ```
    Hi {{first_name}},

    Noticed that {{company}} is hiring — looks like a busy quarter.
    ```

    Any column in your lead list can be used as a variable. Missing values fall back to a default you specify.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Launch the campaign">
    Assign the sending account, pick a send window (e.g., 9 AM - 5 PM business days), and click **Launch**. The sequence fires automatically based on your delays and send windows.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## The Unified Inbox

Go to **Marketing > Outbound > Inbox** for a single view of every reply across every sequence and account.

* **Draft responses** inline with AI suggestions
* **Thread history** — see every message sent to this lead
* **Live updates** — new replies appear in real time
* **Filter by status** — unread, replied, snoozed, closed

## Pipeline Stages

Drag leads through stages like *Contacted*, *Replied*, *Meeting Booked*, *Closed*. Customize stages under **Marketing > Outbound > Pipeline Settings**.

## Segmentation

Use **tags** to group leads (*verticals*, *source*, *seniority*) and build campaigns targeted to each segment. Combine with the CRM's smart lists to keep audiences fresh.

## Blocklist

Go to **Marketing > Outbound > Blocklist** to suppress specific emails or entire domains. Anyone on the blocklist is skipped — use it for competitors, current customers, and unsubscribes.

## Sending Limits

Each account has a daily sending limit that resets at midnight UTC. Start conservative on a new domain (20-30/day) and ramp up as your reputation builds. Hiveku warns you if you're about to blow through a limit.

## Verifying It Works

Before launching, add yourself as a one-row lead list and run the sequence against that list. Step through each follow-up to confirm personalization, timing, and formatting all look right.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Low reply rate">
    Usually one of three things:

    * **Subject line** isn't pulling opens — A/B test short, specific subjects
    * **Personalization** feels fake — write like a human, reference something specific about the lead
    * **List quality** — are these actually the right people? Tighten targeting before volume
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Emails are bouncing">
    Soft bounces (inbox full) are fine. Hard bounces (address doesn't exist) should be under 2% — higher means your list needs hygiene. Use an email verifier before uploading, and warm up your domain if it's new.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Sending account got disconnected">
    Gmail and Outlook tokens expire periodically. Go to **Settings > Email Accounts** and re-authorize. In-flight sequences pause until the account is back, then resume automatically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Replies not showing in the inbox">
    Inbox sync polls every few minutes. If a reply is missing after 10 minutes, click **Refresh** on the account or check that IMAP/OAuth scopes include read access.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## What's Next?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Outbound Reference" icon="book" href="/marketing/outbound-email">
    Full reference for sequences, inbox, and deliverability
  </Card>

  <Card title="CRM Contacts" icon="address-book" href="/how-tos/crm-contacts">
    Sync leads with your CRM for longer-term relationship management
  </Card>
</CardGroup>