In Pipedrive, click Pulse > Sequences, then + Sequence. Start from scratch or a template, choose whether it's for deals or leads, add up to 15 steps of activities and emails, then add deals or leads to it. Emails that send automatically need each user's explicit consent before they'll go out.
Why a sequence beats a sticky note
Most small sales teams follow up from memory, and memory is where deals go to die. A sequence gives you a structured, repeatable follow-up for deals and leads, using emails and tasks in a set order. Pipedrive says the feature is available on Growth and higher plans.
Building the sequence
- In the left sidebar, click Pulse > Sequences.
- Click + Sequence and choose to start from scratch or from a template.
- Choose whether the sequence is for deals or leads.
- Add your steps, up to 15. You have to add steps before you can add a deal or lead.
- For any email you want sent automatically, turn on Send automatically and authorise automated and delegated sending.
- Add deals or leads, then track them on the Overview tab.
Think about step three before you click. The sequence type can only be chosen before anything is enrolled. Once a sequence has enrolments of one type, even completed or failed ones, it's locked to that type.
The two kinds of step
Activities
An activity step creates a task with a due date, type, assignee, priority and notes. Use these for calls, LinkedIn messages or anything a person has to do.
Email drafts
An email step creates a draft with a reminder to send. It can use your existing email templates and the owner's signature. Switch on Send automatically in the step's Details section and it'll go at the scheduled time instead. Once scheduled, automated emails can't be edited, so check them before you enrol anyone. If you need copy to start from, my sales nurture sequence template is a good base.
A simple six-step starting shape
If you're staring at an empty builder, here's a shape I'd use for new inbound leads: an email on day one, a call activity on day two, a follow-up email on day four, a LinkedIn task on day six, a short check-in email on day nine and a final call on day twelve. Adjust the gaps to how quickly your buyers move.
Getting deals and leads into it
You can add up to 500 items, deals or leads, to every sequence. There are four ways in:
- From the sequence builder, with Add items to sequence.
- From a deal detail view, with Add deal to sequence.
- From a lead detail view, with Add to sequence.
- In bulk from the list view, with Add to sequences.
If someone replies or the deal moves on, Mark as completed stops their sequence. It can't be undone, so be sure before you click.
Consent decides whether emails go out
The Pipedrive Knowledge Base is firm on this. Automated emails need each user's own consent, given through Authorize automated and delegated sending, and consent is per user and per sequence. If someone removes their consent after emails are scheduled, the sequence fails at that step and the deal is marked as failed.
For a team, that means one person's settings can quietly break a sequence that someone else built. Get every user to authorise sending when the sequence is set up, and check the Overview tab for failures each week.
Sequences versus Automations
| Feature | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Steps per sequence | Up to 15 |
| Items per sequence | Up to 500 deals or leads |
| Sequences | Structured communication: emails and tasks in order |
| Automations | Jobs like updating fields or assigning deals |
The two work well together. An automation can enrol items in a sequence automatically, such as every new deal in a certain stage.
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How HubSpot handles the same job
HubSpot sequences send a series of emails and tasks, and handle follow-up automatically when a contact responds or books a meeting. Email delays can be up to 90 business days. My comparison of HubSpot and Pipedrive covers the wider differences.
My advice for your first Pipedrive sequence
Keep it to five or six steps, mix two or three emails with calls, and choose deals or leads with care because you can't switch later. Get every user's sending consent sorted on day one. And if Pipedrive isn't quite right for your team, my roundup of Pipedrive alternatives covers other options.
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Frequently asked questions
Where do I find Sequences in Pipedrive?
In the left sidebar, under Pulse > Sequences.
How many steps can a sequence have?
Up to 15.
Can I send emails automatically?
Yes, with Send automatically on an email step, once each user has authorised automated sending.
Can I change deals to leads later?
No. Once items are enrolled, the sequence is locked to deals or leads.
How is a sequence different from an automation?
Sequences are structured communication, while Automations handle jobs like updating fields or assigning deals.
