# Follow-Up Logic Explained: Timing, Steps & Stops

Understand how SalesTarget manages follow-up emails — including how timing works, what triggers each step, and when the system automatically stops sending.

Follow-ups are a critical part of any outbound campaign. In SalesTarget, follow-ups are time-based, rule-driven, and automatically stopped when a reply is received.

## How Follow-Ups Work in SalesTarget

SalesTarget uses a step-based follow-up system. Each follow-up:

- Is a separate step in a sequence
- Runs after a defined delay
- Sends only if no reply has been received

There is no manual triggering required once the campaign starts.

## Follow-Ups Are Time-Based (Not Manual)

Every follow-up runs based on the delay you set between steps. SalesTarget checks for replies before each step. If a reply exists, the next follow-up is skipped.

Step 1 → Initial Email

Wait 2 days

Step 2 → Follow-up Email

Wait 3 days

Step 3 → Final Follow-up

## How Many Follow-Ups Should You Add?

For most campaigns, the recommended structure is:

- 1 initial email
- 2–3 follow-ups

More follow-ups do not always mean better results. Best practice is to keep sequences short and stop before outreach feels repetitive.

## Follow-Up Delays Explained

Delays control when the next email is sent. You can set delays as hours or days. Delays help:

- Maintain natural timing between touchpoints
- Avoid back-to-back emails
- Protect deliverability

Avoid very short delays (same-day follow-ups) for cold outreach.

## What Triggers a Follow-Up?

A follow-up is sent only if all of the following conditions are met:

- The previous email was sent
- No reply has been received
- The campaign is active
- Sending limits are not exceeded
- The current time falls within your schedule

If any condition fails, the follow-up is delayed — not permanently skipped.

## What Stops Follow-Ups Automatically

SalesTarget automatically stops follow-ups when a recipient replies to any email in the sequence. This happens even if:

- The reply is short
- The reply is not positive
- A follow-up is already scheduled

Once a reply is detected, no further emails are sent to that lead.

## Why Stop on Reply Is Important

Stopping follow-ups on reply:

- Prevents awkward double-emails
- Protects sender reputation
- Improves the campaign experience for prospects
- Keeps outreach respectful

This setting should always be enabled for cold campaigns.

## What Happens If Sending Limits Are Reached

If sending limits are reached:

- Emails are queued
- Emails are sent the next day during your scheduled time
- Sending continues gradually
- No emails are dropped
- Deliverability protection remains active

This prevents sudden spikes and keeps sending safe.

## Follow-Ups and Scheduling

Follow-ups:

- Respect campaign schedule settings
- Run only during defined working hours
- Follow time zone settings

If a follow-up is due outside working hours, it is delayed — not skipped.

## Tracking Follow-Up Performance

You can monitor follow-ups through:

- Campaign analytics
- Replies in Unibox
- Lead-level activity logs

This helps you understand which step gets replies, when prospects respond, and whether follow-ups are improving engagement.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- Adding too many follow-ups
- Using the same message in every step
- Setting very short delays between emails
- Increasing volume too fast
- Not reviewing replies in Unibox

Follow-ups should add value — not pressure.

## Best Practices

- Keep follow-ups simple and relevant
- Add clear time gaps between steps
- Always stop on reply
- Review follow-up performance after each campaign
- Adjust timing before increasing volume

## Summary

In SalesTarget:

- Follow-ups are time-based
- Each follow-up is a sequence step
- Replies automatically stop future emails
- Scheduling and limits are always respected

A well-structured follow-up flow improves replies while keeping outreach safe.

## Build Follow-Up Sequences That Run Themselves

SalesTarget handles follow-up timing, reply detection, and schedule enforcement automatically — so you can focus on responding to interested leads, not managing sequences.