Understanding Email Variants and Sequences

What You'll Learn

This guide explains how to view and edit email sequences and variants in your Cold Email Agent campaigns. You'll learn the difference between sequences (the ordered steps of your outreach) and variants (A/B test versions within each step), plus how to manage both on the Sequences tab.

Understanding Sequences vs. Variants

Your Cold Email Agent campaigns use two related but distinct concepts:

Email sequences are the ordered steps of your outreach flow. For example, Step 1 might be your initial outreach, Step 2 a follow-up sent 2 days later, and Step 3 a final touchpoint. The sequence determines the order and timing of your emails.

Email variants are different versions (A, B, C, etc.) of the same step for A/B testing. Step 1 might have Variant A with one subject line and Variant B with another. The system randomly assigns new leads to enabled variants and tracks which performs best.

Accessing the Sequences Tab

To view or edit your campaign's sequences and variants:

1. Navigate to your Cold Email Agent campaigns list

2. Click on the campaign you want to manage

3. Select the Sequences tab at the top of the campaign details page

The Sequences tab displays a split interface: the left sidebar shows all your steps and variants in order, while the right panel shows the editor for the selected variant.

Viewing Your Sequence Structure

The left sidebar displays your complete sequence hierarchy:

Step headers appear in numerical order (Step 1, Step 2, Step 3). Each step represents one email in your outreach flow, sent after the configured delay from the previous step.

Variant cards appear under each step, labeled A, B, C, and so on. Each card shows:

• The variant letter (A, B, C)

• Performance metrics like positive reply percentage

• A green "Winner" badge on the highest-performing variant

• A toggle switch to enable or disable the variant

• An eye icon to preview the email

Editing Email Variants

To edit the content of any variant:

1. Click on the variant card in the left sidebar

2. The right panel loads the email editor with two fields:

   • Subject line input at the top

   • Email body rich text editor below

3. Make your changes to the subject or body content

4. The system auto-saves your edits after 1 second

The email body editor includes formatting tools for bold, italic, lists, links, and alignment. You can insert personalization variables like {{firstName}} or {{company}} to customize emails for each lead.

Previewing Variants

Click the eye icon on any variant card to open the preview modal. The left side lets you enter sample values for variables like first name and company, while the right side shows how the email will render. Unset variables are highlighted in yellow.

Adding and Removing Variants

To create additional variants for A/B testing within a step:

1. Locate the step where you want to add a variant

2. Click the Add Variant button for that step

3. A new variant card appears with default placeholders

4. Click the new variant and edit its subject and body content

To remove a variant:

1. Click the trash icon on the variant card

2. Confirm deletion in the modal that appears

Enabling and Disabling Variants

The toggle switch on each variant card controls whether new leads receive that version:

Enabled variants are included in the random rotation. New leads at that step will be randomly assigned one of the enabled variants with an even split.

Disabled variants are skipped for new leads but remain visible with their performance data. This is useful for pausing underperforming versions while keeping their metrics for reference.

To disable a variant, click its toggle switch and confirm in the modal. To re-enable it, toggle it back on.

Managing Sequence Steps

To add a new step to your sequence:

1. Scroll to the bottom of the step list in the left sidebar

2. Click the Add Step button

3. A new step appears with one default variant

4. Edit the variant content and add more variants as needed

To remove a step, delete all variants within it. When you delete the last variant, the system prompts you to confirm step deletion.

How Variant Selection Works

When a new lead enters a step in your sequence, the system randomly assigns them to one of the enabled variants with an even split. For example, if Step 1 has Variant A and Variant B both enabled, approximately 50% of leads receive A and 50% receive B.

The system tracks performance metrics for each variant, including positive reply rate and booked calls. The variant with the highest positive reply percentage receives the Winner badge automatically.

Common Questions

Why isn't my sequence showing up?

After creating a campaign, sequences may take 1-2 minutes to generate if using AI, or up to 5-20 minutes for provider synchronization. Try refreshing the page. If the Sequences tab remains empty, check that your email provider (Instantly or Acquisity) is properly connected.

Can I duplicate sequences across campaigns?

There's no built-in duplication feature. You can manually copy and paste variant content from the editor into a new campaign's sequences.

Where is the Sequences tab?

The Sequences tab only appears after you click into a specific campaign from your campaigns list. It won't be visible on the main campaigns overview page.

Why are my variants too similar?

If you used AI generation, the system creates variants based on your campaign settings. If they're too similar, manually edit each variant's subject and body to create meaningful differences for A/B testing, or create a new campaign with adjusted parameters.

Do changes save automatically?

Yes, variant edits auto-save after 1 second. You'll see a confirmation toast message. If changes aren't persisting, check your network connection and try refreshing the page.

Related Articles

• How to Create a New Cold Email Campaign - Learn how to set up sequences and variants during campaign creation

• Cold Email Agent Overview - Understand all campaign features and tabs