Articles on: Campaigns

Simple vs Complex Sequences

Simple vs Complex Sequences


Purpose


When you create a campaign, you choose between a simple or complex sequence. This choice is permanent — you can't switch after the campaign is created. This article explains exactly what each mode does so you can make the right call upfront.


The Core Difference


Simple sequences are a straight line: step 1, wait, step 2, wait, step 3, and so on. Every contact follows the exact same path in the exact same order. The builder is a vertical list.


Complex sequences are a branching tree: contacts can take different paths based on conditions like whether they opened an email, clicked a link, or replied. The builder is a visual drag-and-drop canvas.


Simple Sequence: What It Looks Like


The sequence builder shows a numbered list of steps on the left and an editor for the selected step on the right.


Each step is either:

  • A message step — an email, LinkedIn action (profile visit, connection request, message, InMail), or Twitter action (follow, unfollow, DM).
  • A wait/delay step — e.g., "wait 3 days." These sit between message steps to control timing.
  • A "Wait Until Connected" step — specifically for LinkedIn: pauses the sequence until the contact accepts your connection request, then continues.


Building a sequence is fast. You add steps one by one, set delays, write your email content, and save. The "Day N" label on each step automatically calculates the send day based on accumulated wait times.


Example — a 5-step simple sequence:

  • Day 1: Email (initial outreach)
  • Wait 3 days
  • Day 4: Email (follow-up #1)
  • Wait 4 days
  • Day 8: LinkedIn Connection Request
  • Wait 2 days
  • Day 10: Email (follow-up #2 — "I sent you a LinkedIn request")
  • Wait 5 days
  • Day 15: Email (final breakup)


Every contact in this campaign follows this exact path. If a contact replies, you manually pause or remove them — the sequence doesn't auto-branch.


Complex Sequence: What It Looks Like


The complex sequence builder is a visual canvas (React Flow-style). You drag node types from the right sidebar onto the canvas and connect them with arrows.


In addition to all the step types available in simple sequences, complex sequences add:


  • If nodes — conditional branching based on events (opened email, clicked link, replied, connected on LinkedIn, etc.)
  • Switch nodes — multi-branch conditionals for more than two outcomes
  • HTTP API Request nodes — send a webhook to an external system at any point in the sequence
  • Task nodes — create a manual to-do (e.g., "Call this contact") visible in your team's task queue
  • Note nodes — annotation for internal documentation of the sequence logic
  • Stop nodes — explicitly end a contact's path through the sequence


Example — when you'd use complex:

  • You want to send email #1, then check if the contact opened it. If they opened it, send a warmer follow-up. If they didn't open it, send a more direct re-engagement email.
  • You want to add a LinkedIn connection step, then check if they accepted within 5 days. If yes, send a LinkedIn message. If no, fall back to email.


Which One Should You Use?


Use Simple if:

  • You're building a standard linear outbound sequence
  • You don't need to react to whether contacts opened or clicked
  • You want to get up and running quickly
  • This is your first campaign or first time in SuperSend


Use Complex if:

  • You need branching logic based on contact behavior (opens, clicks, replies, LinkedIn connections)
  • Your team runs sophisticated multi-touch sequences with conditional paths
  • You need webhook triggers to sync with a CRM at specific points
  • You want to build a decision tree that can't be represented linearly


If you're not sure, use Simple. The vast majority of outbound campaigns are linear and don't require branching. Complex sequences add meaningful setup time and are harder to debug.


You Cannot Switch After Creating


This bears repeating: sequence type cannot be changed after campaign creation. If you create a campaign as Simple, it stays Simple. If you need Complex later, you'll need to create a new campaign and rebuild the sequence.


This is why the campaign wizard explicitly says: "Once you've selected either a complex or simple sequence and created your campaign, the type of sequence cannot be changed."


If you're testing, just create a new throwaway campaign to explore the other type — campaigns are cheap to create.



Updated on: 17/03/2026

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