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Clay Sequencer Guide: How It Works for B2B Outreach & Personalization

Clay has added something new called Sequencer.

It’s a built-in feature that lets you create and send automated email sequences directly inside Clay.

You don’t need to switch between tools anymore. You can pull your leads, write messages, schedule sends, and track replies, all in one place.

There are two simple ways to start: from the Campaigns tab, where you see all your running or inactive campaigns, or from a table of leads you already have. 

Both take just a few clicks.

This guide walks you through every step, setting up your campaign, writing emails with Clay’s AI, sending them, and checking your results. 

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to use the Sequencer to run your outreach from start to finish inside Clay.

What Is a Clay Sequencer?

Clay Sequencer homepage 
This image shows the Clay Sequencer homepage 

The Clay Sequencer is a new feature inside Clay that lets you create and send automated outreach campaigns.

You can build your campaign, write your messages, and send them, all without leaving Clay.

It connects directly with your lead tables. 

That means when you update or enrich data in your main table, it automatically syncs with your campaign. 

You don’t have to copy or move anything.

You can start from the Campaigns tab to see all your active or paused campaigns, or launch a new one from an existing table of leads. 

Once your leads are added, Clay automatically links their data, so your messages always stay up to date.

The Sequencer also gives you full control, you can draft emails using AI, set follow-ups with delays, and manage replies in one place. 

It’s simple, fast, and built to keep your outreach organized from start to finish.

Now, let’s go step by step and see how the Sequencer actually works.

How Clay Sequencer Works?

Getting started with Clay Sequencer is simple. There are two ways to do it.

The first way is through the Campaigns tab

Here, you can see all your campaigns in one view, which ones are running and which ones are inactive. This is the easiest place to start.

The second way is from a table of leads you already have. 

You can go to the Actions tab, create a new campaign, or launch the Sequencer directly from there.

Clay sequencer email campaign
This image shows the Clay sequencer email campaign

Once you click New Campaign, Clay gives you a ready-made template. 

It’s a basic setup with three main steps.

Step 1: Sourcing Leads

Sourcing leads in Clay
This image shows the Sourcing leads in Clay

You start by pulling in leads from your target market.

Once your leads are added, Clay automatically moves you to the next step.

Step 2: The Contacts Table

Contacts table in Clay
This image shows the Contacts table in Clay

Your leads appear in a contacts table with their data already synced. 

The key action here is Send Table Data, this keeps your lead data updated between your main table and your campaign.

If you add new columns or enrich data later, everything automatically syncs to your campaign.

Step 3: The Campaign Interface

Campaign table in Clay
This image shows the Campaign table in Clay

After syncing, you’ll see your campaign table. 

It looks similar to your regular Clay tables, but now all your lead data is connected to your campaign. 

Any edits you make here will sync automatically.

Before sending anything, you’ll need to check your campaign settings

Campaign setup in Clay
This image shows the Campaign setup in Clay

Give your campaign a name that helps you track it easily, and make sure the right email address column is selected.

Clay tries to auto-detect it, but it’s always good to double-check because that’s where your emails will be sent from.

There’s also an HTML option, but it’s better to keep it off for cold outreach. Plain-text emails usually perform better and stay out of spam.

Clay Sequencer Pricing

Clay doesn’t have a fixed monthly price for its Sequencer.

Instead, everything inside Clay, including Sequencer, runs on credits.

You buy credits once, and they’re used for things like sending emails, generating AI snippets, or enriching data.

Here’s the simple breakdown:

  • 0.1 credit per email sent
  • 0.5 credit per AI snippet generated

Let’s take a quick example:

If you send 1,000 emails in a campaign and use AI personalization for each one, the total cost would be:

  • 1,000 × 0.1 = 100 credits for sending
  • 1,000 × 0.5 = 500 credits for AI snippets

That’s 600 credits in total for your full campaign.

Now, what you actually pay depends on your plan and cost per credit:

Clay Pricing
This image shows the Clay Pricing
  • Starter Plan – $134/month
  • Explorer Plan – $314/month
  • Pro Plan – $720/month

Each higher plan gives you cheaper credit rates, so you pay less per email as you scale.

Clay’s pricing is flexible, there’s no subscription lock-in, and you can buy more credits anytime.

It’s ideal if you’re testing new campaigns or scaling gradually, since you only pay for what you use.

Key Features of Clay Sequencer

The Clay Sequencer comes with a set of features that make email outreach smooth and simple from start to finish. 

Everything you need to plan, send, and track your campaigns is built right into Clay.

1. Campaign Setup

You can start a campaign from the Campaigns tab or from a table of leads. 

Clay gives you a ready-to-use template with three quick steps, sourcing leads, syncing contacts, and launching your campaign. 

Your lead data stays connected through the Send Table Data action, so any new information or enrichment you add automatically updates your campaign.

2. AI Message Drafting

AI snippers in Clay
This image shows the AI snippers in Clay

Clay’s AI helps you write your emails using data from your website and your ideal customer profile. 

You can use AI snippets to personalize each message with details like a lead’s name, job title, or company info. 

You can preview these snippets in real time and adjust them before sending.

3. Smart Personalization Tools

To make every email sound natural, Clay includes tools like:

  • Clean variables to safely replace missing data, so emails never break.
Clean variables in Clay
This image shows the Clean variables in Clay
  • Spintax to rotate greetings or phrases such as “hi,” “hello,” or “hey,” helping you avoid spam filters.
Spintax variables in Clay
This image shows the Spintax variables in Clay

4. Sender Setup and Scheduling

You can send emails through SMTP or Google OAuth. For most users, Google OAuth is easier and safer, especially if you use Workspace. 

SMTP sender set up in Clay
This image shows the SMTP sender set up in Clay

You can also set your own sending schedule, choose business hours, add gaps between sends, and even delay campaign starts.

5. Credit System

Clay uses credits for every campaign you send. Each email costs 0.1 credit, and every AI snippet costs 0.5 credit

Once you launch, your core campaign settings and snippets are locked, but you can pause to edit messages or end a campaign anytime.

6. Analytics and Reply Management

Analytics tab in Clay
This image shows the Analytics tab in Clay

After launching, you can track performance in the Analytics tab

Every action, from emails sent to replies received, is logged in the Campaign Events table.

Clay can also generate AI replies or handle unsubscribe requests automatically. 

You can keep human control by reviewing replies through Slack approvals before they’re sent.

7. Global Inbox

Global Inbox in Clay
This image shows the Global Inbox in Clay

All your campaign replies appear in one Global Inbox

It’s an easy way to manage responses from every campaign in one view, keep conversations organized, and stay fully in control of what’s sent out.

Limitations of Clay Sequencer

The Clay Sequencer is a great addition for running automated outreach inside Clay.

But it still comes with a few limits worth knowing before you rely on it fully.

1. Email Only

At the moment, Sequencer works only for email campaigns.

It doesn’t support multi-channel outreach like LinkedIn or SMS.

If you usually reach prospects on more than one platform, this can feel limiting.

2. Works Best with Clay’s Data Setup

Sequencer depends on Clay’s data tables and enrichment flow.

If you’re not already using Clay for lead enrichment or intent signals, you’ll need to prepare that first.

3. Limited Deliverability Controls

Clay includes built-in warm-up and domain rotation, but it doesn’t go deep into deliverability.

You won’t find advanced options like inbox rotation, IP management, or detailed sender health tracking yet.

4. Locked Settings After Launch

Once a campaign is live, your main settings and AI snippets get locked.

You can pause or stop a campaign to make changes, but you can’t edit them while it’s running.

These limitations don’t take away from what Clay Sequencer does well, it’s still great for managing personalized email outreach right inside Clay.

But they do show where the feature stops for now, especially if your workflow includes multiple channels or advanced deliverability handling.

If you’re interested in sequencing but want to go beyond email, there are tools that already offer that flexibility.

One of them is Salesforge, a platform that also includes sequencing but supports multi-channel outreach like email and LinkedIn.

Salesforge Also Offers Sequencing

In Salesforge, you can build and automate sequences across both email and LinkedIn.

You can connect unlimited mailboxes, manage campaigns in one dashboard, and see all replies together using Primebox™, its unified inbox.

Sequence builder in Salesforge
This image shows the Sequence builder in Salesforge

Salesforge also includes:

  • Smart Mailbox Rotation to protect deliverability
  • Unlimited Warm-Up to maintain sender reputation
  • Multi-Language Sequences and A/B Testing for better performance
  • AI Personalization Credits for unique and human-like messages

Pricing is simple:

  • Pro Plan – $48/month: Best for solopreneurs testing sequencing.
  • Growth Plan – $96/month: Includes multi-channel sequences, unlimited users, and API access.

For full automation, there’s Agent Frank, Salesforge’s AI SDR.

He can find leads, send emails, follow up, and even book meetings, all on autopilot.

So while the Clay Sequencer is ideal for email automation inside Clay, Salesforge lets you do the same and more, across channels, at scale, and with built-in infrastructure.

How Salesforge Sequencer Works?

The Salesforge Sequencer makes setting up your outreach simple.

Here’s how it works in plain steps:

  • You start by naming your sequence and selecting the product you’re promoting.
  • Add or import your contacts, only available ones appear for use.
  • Validate emails in real time to avoid bounces or spam issues.
Validate your emails 
This image shows the Validate your emails 
  • Write your message using AI-generated copy or your own templates.
  • Use variables and icebreakers to make every email feel personal.
Use variables in Salesforge
This image shows the Use variables in Salesforge
  • Add follow-up steps and set delays like 2 or 3 days between messages.
  • Choose Overdrive mode if you want AI to pull data from a contact’s LinkedIn or website.
generate your email with AI
This image shows how to generate your email with AI
auto-generate your emails
This image shows how to auto-generate your emails
  • Set your sending schedule, days, hours, and time zone.
Sending schedule in Salesforge 
This image shows how to send schedule in Salesforge 
  • Connect multiple mailboxes and let Salesforge rotate them automatically for safety.
connect mailboxes to send emails from
This image shows how to connect mailboxes to send emails from
  • Hit Launch, and your campaign runs while managing deliverability in the background.

That’s it, a few quick steps, and your outreach runs smoothly without any manual work.

Conclusion

So to sum it up, Clay Sequencer is a new feature for anyone already using Clay.

It helps you pull leads, personalize emails with AI, and run simple, data-driven outreach without leaving the platform.

But if you want to take that same idea a step further, with multi-channel sequences, LinkedIn outreach, and stronger deliverability control, you can check Salesforge.

With Salesforge, you can:

  • Run email and LinkedIn sequences together.
  • Connect unlimited mailboxes with automatic rotation.
  • Use AI personalization that writes like a real person.
  • Keep all replies in one place with Primebox™.

Both tools make outreach smarter, Clay keeps it simple inside your data, while Salesforge helps you scale it across more channels.

If you’re ready to build outreach that actually reaches the inbox and books real meetings, you can try Salesforge free and see how it works in action.