# Build a sequence (https://www.getfounderhq.com/docs/sequences/build-a-sequence)

A sequence messages people by itself as they act: a welcome after a
signup, a nudge after three quiet days. You draw it as a flow of steps.
About 15 minutes for a first one.

<Callout title="Before you start">
You need a sending channel connected: see [Sequences](/sequences). You
also need a published message template: see
[Write a template](/sequences/write-a-template).
</Callout>

## 1. Create the sequence

Open [Sequences](https://app.getfounderhq.com/sequences) and press **New sequence**. Name it for
what it does, such as "Welcome new signups".

The builder opens with a trigger at the top and an **Exit** at the bottom.

## 2. Choose what starts it

Click the trigger and choose under **Starts when**. To start on a signup,
choose **An event happens** and enter the name of your signup event.

There are seven ways to start a sequence. See
[Start a sequence](/sequences/start-a-sequence).

## 3. Add a message

Drag **Email** from the palette onto the flow, or press the plus between
two steps. Then set the step:

| Setting | What to choose |
| --- | --- |
| **Template** | The message to send. It must be published. |
| **Send via** | The connection to send through. **Default** uses the brand's default for that channel. |
| **Kind of message** | **Marketing**: offers and news. People who opted out are skipped. **Service**: news about the service they use. Opt-outs do not apply. |

Choose **Service** only for messages a person needs, such as a receipt or
a password reset.

## 4. Add a wait

Drag **For a duration** below the message and set the number of days.
Then add the next message under it.

See [Waits and branches](/sequences/waits-and-branches) for the other
waits, and for sending different messages to different people.

## 5. Set the goal

Press the gear at the top. Under **Goal event**, enter the event that
means the sequence worked, such as a purchase.

With **Exit condition** set to **On conversion**, a person leaves the
sequence as soon as they reach the goal, so they get no more nudges.
Choose **Only at the end** to send every step regardless.

## 6. Test it

Press **Test**. Choose a test contact and press **Run test**. FounderHQ
walks that contact through your draft and shows each step. Nothing is
sent and nothing is saved.

## 7. Make it live

Open the menu on the save button and choose **Publish to Live**.

FounderHQ checks the sequence first. It stops and lists what to fix if,
for example, a step has no template, a template is not published, or no
connection exists for a channel.

## Verify

1. The sequence shows as live in [Sequences](https://app.getfounderhq.com/sequences).
2. Trigger it yourself: do the thing that starts it, with your own
   account.
3. Open [Sequences → Message log](https://app.getfounderhq.com/sequences/messages). Your message is there with
   the source **Sequence**.

## Change a live sequence

Edit and save as often as you like. Your edits are a draft, and the live
version keeps running. Choose **Publish to Live** again to roll them out.

People already in the sequence stay on the version they entered. New
people get the new one.

A template is published on its own. After you edit a template, publish
the template too.

## Pause or stop

- **Pause** holds the sequence. Messages wait and are not lost.
  **Resume** continues.
- **Delete**, in the sequence's menu on the list, stops it for good.
  People already in it stop receiving its steps.

## Go back to an earlier version

Open the version menu. Each version shows how many people entered it and
how many reached the goal. Open an old version to read it, and press
**Restore as draft** to work from it again.

## Sequence settings

The gear also holds these.

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Re-entry policy** | Whether a person can go through the sequence again: **Never**, **After exit**, or **Always** |
| **Runs per contact** | **One at a time**, or **Can overlap** |
| **Variables** | Values you pass in when a person enters, to use in messages and conditions |
| **Fallback time zone** | Used for a person whose time zone is unknown |

## Limits

| Limit | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Steps in a sequence | 100 |
| Paths out of one branch | 5 |
| Variables in a sequence | 20 |

## Let Astro build it

Press **Astro** in the builder and describe the sequence: "Design a
4-email welcome sequence for new signups." Astro's changes arrive as
unsaved changes for you to review.