Smartlead workflows

Smartlead Workflows

Overview

Smartlead is the cold email platform of choice for high-volume senders. Its killer features: unlimited mailboxes, automatic mailbox rotation, AI reply categorization, and a unified master inbox. This skill covers setup from 0 to sending at scale.

Authoritative Foundations

• Smartlead Best Practices — Unlimited mailboxes, master inbox, and agency-scale cold email ops.
• Eric Nowoslawski Cold Email Infrastructure — Cold email infra at scale — 2 inboxes/domain, backup inboxes, Creative Ideas testing.
• Outreach — Sales Engagement Cadence Design — Sequence governance, task-based selling, and CRM-locked cadences.

When to Use

• "Set up Smartlead"
• "Smartlead campaign setup"
• "Add mailboxes to Smartlead"
• "Smartlead optimization"

Step-by-Step Process

Phase 1: Infrastructure Setup

Before creating a single campaign:

• Connect 3-5 sending domains per client (secondary domains, not primary)
• Add 2-3 mailboxes per domain (Google Workspace or M365)
• Verify DNS: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, custom tracking domain
• Warm up each mailbox 2-3 weeks before sending (start 5/day, ramp to 50/day)
• Set up master inbox: unified view of all replies across all mailboxes

Phase 2: Campaign Creation

Per campaign:

• Lead list: Upload CSV, map fields, segment by persona
• Sequence: 3-5 step sequence, plain text only, no images/HTML
• Mailbox assignment: Auto-rotate across 15-25 mailboxes, max 30-50 emails/day/mailbox
• Sending window: Mon-Thu 6am-8pm prospect timezone, 45-90 second delay between sends
• Tracking: Open tracking OFF (hurts deliverability in 2026), reply tracking ON

Phase 3: AI Reply Categorization

Train Smartlead's AI to categorize replies:

• Positive: "Interested," "Let's talk," "Send more info" → label INTERESTED
• Neutral: "Not now," "Maybe next quarter" → label NOT NOW
• OOO: Auto-replies, vacation → label OOO, auto-pause
• Negative: "Stop emailing," "Remove me" → label UNSUBSCRIBE, auto-block
• Wrong person: "I'm not the right person" → label WRONG CONTACT, flag for update

Phase 4: A/B Testing

Test at campaign level:

• Subject line: 2-4 variants, rotate evenly, measure reply rate
• Opener: Different hook patterns, same body
• CTA: Soft vs direct, measure meeting rate
• Send time: Morning vs afternoon by timezone, auto-optimize

Phase 5: Analytics & Optimization

• Campaign health: Reply rate (>2% healthy), bounce rate (<3% healthy), spam rate (<0.1%)
• Mailbox health: Per-mailbox bounce and spam rates, rotate out unhealthy mailboxes
• Sequence optimization: Which step drives most replies, trim low-performing steps
• A/B winner declaration: After 500+ sends per variant, declare winner and auto-apply

Output Format

Smartlead setup playbook with: infrastructure checklist, campaign configuration, AI categorization rules, A/B test plan, and optimization cadence.

Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:

• All required sections are complete
• Output matches the user's stated need
• Named frameworks are cited for key recommendations
• No vague claims — every recommendation has a specific action
• Deliverable is ready for operational use, not just conceptual

Common Pitfalls

1. Skipping research. Building output without understanding the specific context. Fix: always gather required inputs before producing deliverables.
2. Generic output. "Improve your process" without concrete steps. Fix: every recommendation must include a specific action, timeline, and owner.
3. Missing framework citations. Advice without named authorities. Fix: ground every recommendation in a cited framework from a recognized authority.

Execution Artifacts

• references/framework-notes.md — Eric Smartlead scale, Pat verify gate, AI categorization
• templates/output-template.md — infrastructure + AI labels + Clay gate deliverable
• scripts/check-output.py — local checklist validator This skill includes lightweight artifacts the agent can load on demand:
• references/clay-enrollment-handoff.md — Clay/loops → Smartlead push + custom variables
• ../../outbound/cold-email-strategy/references/eric-nowoslawski-outbound.md — Eric Nowoslawski agency infra (canonical Smartlead operator)
• ../../outbound/cold-email-copywriting/references/pat-spielmann-outbound-copy.md — verify-before-send (Pat Spielmann)
• ../../tools/clay-loops-toolkit/references/leadmagic-waterfall.md — loop enrich chain before push
• ../../leadmagic/leadmagic-cli/references/cli-workflow-patterns.md — lm integrations smartlead push
• ../../../../references/gtm-experts-outbound-index.md — expert router Use the artifacts when the user asks for an implementation-ready deliverable, a repeatable workflow, or a quality check rather than generic advice.

Implementation Depth

Use this section when the user asks for a finished asset, not a high-level explanation.

Diagnostic Questions

1. What is the primary motion: founder-led, sales-led, product-led, partner-led, or lifecycle-led?
2. Which ICP tier is the output for: small business, mid-market, enterprise, or mixed?
3. What proof is available today: customer stories, usage data, third-party validation, screenshots, or none?
4. What system will execute the work: CRM, sequencer, warehouse, support desk, product analytics, or manual workflow?
5. What decision will the user make from this output: launch, prioritize, route, rewrite, score, coach, or measure?

Framework Application

Map the recommendation explicitly to the named frameworks in this skill:

• Smartlead Best Practices: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.
• Eric Nowoslawski Cold Email Infrastructure: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.
• Outreach — Sales Engagement Cadence Design: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.

Deliverable Standard

A strong output from this skill includes:

• A crisp diagnosis of the current situation
• A recommended path with tradeoffs, not a generic list
• A concrete artifact the user can use immediately: table, script, checklist, scorecard, sequence, dashboard spec, or implementation plan
• A measurement plan with leading and lagging indicators
• Risks and edge cases called out before execution

Adaptation Rules

• For small business: reduce complexity, shorten time-to-value, and prioritize owner/operator clarity.
• For mid-market: include workflow ownership, handoffs, integrations, and enablement assets.
• For enterprise: include governance, risk, procurement, stakeholder mapping, and proof requirements.

Related Skills

• email-deliverability, domain-infrastructure, inbox-setup, cold-email-strategy, cold-email-copywriting