Campaign Setup Guide

Overview

A SmartLead campaign is the core unit of outbound email. It ties together your email accounts, sequences, leads, and sending schedule into a single automated workflow. This guide covers everything you need to configure a campaign programmatically.

Campaign Architecture

Every campaign has four building blocks:

Email Accounts — The sending addresses that rotate automatically
Sequences — The emails and follow-ups your leads receive
Leads — The prospects imported into the campaign
Schedule — When and how fast emails are sent

Campaign
├── Email Accounts (1+)
├── Sequences
│   ├── Step 1 (Initial email)
│   │   ├── Variant A
│   │   └── Variant B (optional A/B test)
│   ├── Step 2 (Follow-up, +3 days)
│   └── Step 3 (Break-up, +5 days)
├── Leads (up to 400 per import)
└── Schedule (timezone, days, hours)

Creating a Campaign

import requests
import os

API_KEY = os.getenv("SMARTLEAD_API_KEY")
BASE_URL = "https://server.smartlead.ai/api/v1"

campaign_payload = {
    "name": "Q1 SaaS Outreach — VP Sales",
    "track_settings": {
        "track_open": True,
        "track_click": True
    }
}

response = requests.post(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/create",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY},
    json=campaign_payload
)

campaign = response.json()
campaign_id = campaign["campaign"]["id"]
print(f"Campaign created: ID {campaign_id}")

const API_KEY = process.env.SMARTLEAD_API_KEY;
const BASE_URL = 'https://server.smartlead.ai/api/v1';

const response = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/campaigns/create?api_key=${API_KEY}`, {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    name: 'Q1 SaaS Outreach — VP Sales',
    track_settings: {
      track_open: true,
      track_click: true
    }
  })
});

const campaign = await response.json();
const campaignId = campaign.campaign.id;
console.log(`Campaign created: ID ${campaignId}`);

Use descriptive campaign names that include the quarter, ICP, and persona. This makes it easier to filter and compare performance later. Example: Q1 SaaS Outreach — VP Sales — US.

Building Sequences

Sequences define the emails your leads receive and the timing between them. Each step can optionally include A/B test variants.

Basic Sequence

Python

sequences_payload = {
    "sequences": [
        {
            "seq_number": 1,
            "subject": "Quick question about {{company_name}}",
            "email_body": """Hi {{first_name}},

I noticed {{company_name}} is scaling its outbound — are you exploring ways to improve reply rates?

We help {{industry}} companies like yours book 3x more meetings through automated cold email.

Worth a 15-minute call this week?

Best,
Sarah""",
            "seq_delay_details": {"delay_in_days": 0}
        },
        {
            "seq_number": 2,
            "subject": "Re: Quick question about {{company_name}}",
            "email_body": """Hi {{first_name}},

Following up — I wanted to share a case study from a {{industry}} company that went from 2% to 14% reply rates in 30 days.

Happy to walk through what they did if you have 10 minutes.

Sarah""",
            "seq_delay_details": {"delay_in_days": 3}
        },
        {
            "seq_number": 3,
            "subject": "Re: Quick question about {{company_name}}",
            "email_body": """Hi {{first_name}},

Don't want to be a pest — just checking if improving outbound pipeline is a priority for {{company_name}} right now.

If the timing isn't right, no worries. Happy to reconnect next quarter.

Best,
Sarah""",
            "seq_delay_details": {"delay_in_days": 5}
        }
    ]
}

response = requests.post(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/{campaign_id}/sequences",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY},
    json=sequences_payload
)

print("Sequences created!")

Personalization Variables

Use double curly braces to insert lead-specific data into your emails:

Variable	Description	Source
`{{first_name}}`	Lead’s first name	Lead import
`{{last_name}}`	Lead’s last name	Lead import
`{{email}}`	Lead’s email address	Lead import
`{{company_name}}`	Company name	Lead import
`{{location}}`	Lead’s location	Lead import
`{{custom_field_name}}`	Any custom field	`custom_fields` on import

If a personalization variable is missing for a lead, SmartLead will leave the placeholder blank. Use fallback values in your copy to handle this gracefully — for example, write “your team” as a fallback for {{company_name}}.

A/B Testing Variants

Test different subject lines or email bodies to optimize performance:

Python

sequences_with_variants = {
    "sequences": [
        {
            "seq_number": 1,
            "subject": "Quick question about {{company_name}}",
            "email_body": "Hi {{first_name}},\n\nI noticed {{company_name}} is scaling...",
            "seq_delay_details": {"delay_in_days": 0},
            "variants": [
                {
                    "subject": "{{first_name}}, quick thought on {{company_name}}",
                    "email_body": "Hey {{first_name}},\n\nSaw that {{company_name}} is growing fast...",
                    "variant_distribution": 50
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}

response = requests.post(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/{campaign_id}/sequences",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY},
    json=sequences_with_variants
)

SmartLead automatically splits traffic between variants and tracks open/reply rates for each.

Test one variable at a time (subject line OR body, not both) so you can isolate what drives performance. Run tests for at least 200 sends before drawing conclusions.

Linking Email Accounts

Connect one or more email accounts to your campaign. SmartLead rotates between them automatically to maximize deliverability.

Python

# Link existing email accounts by their IDs
response = requests.post(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/{campaign_id}/email-accounts",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY},
    json={"email_account_ids": [101, 102, 103]}
)

print("Email accounts linked!")

Fetching Available Accounts

Python

# List all email accounts
response = requests.get(
    f"{BASE_URL}/email-accounts",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY}
)

accounts = response.json()
for account in accounts:
    print(f"ID: {account['id']} | {account['from_email']} | Warmup: {account['warmup_enabled']}")

Only link accounts that have been warmed up for at least 14 days. Sending cold emails from a fresh account will hurt your deliverability and sender reputation. See the Email Warmup Guide for details.

Configuring the Schedule

Control when emails are sent and how many go out per day:

Python

schedule_payload = {
    "timezone": "America/New_York",
    "days_of_the_week": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5],  # Monday-Friday
    "start_hour": "09:00",
    "end_hour": "17:00",
    "min_time_btw_emails": 8,              # Minutes between emails
    "max_new_leads_per_day": 30            # New leads contacted per day
}

response = requests.post(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/{campaign_id}/schedule",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY},
    json=schedule_payload
)

print("Schedule configured!")

Parameter	Description	Recommended
`timezone`	IANA timezone for send window	Match your leads’ timezone
`days_of_the_week`	1=Mon through 7=Sun	`[1,2,3,4,5]` (weekdays)
`start_hour`	Earliest send time	`"08:00"` - `"10:00"`
`end_hour`	Latest send time	`"16:00"` - `"18:00"`
`min_time_btw_emails`	Gap between sends (minutes)	`5` - `12`
`max_new_leads_per_day`	Daily new lead cap	`20` - `50` per account

Campaign Settings

Track Settings

Python

# Update tracking settings
response = requests.patch(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/{campaign_id}/settings",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY},
    json={
        "track_settings": {
            "track_open": True,
            "track_click": True
        }
    }
)

Stop Conditions

Automatically stop emailing a lead when certain events occur:

Python

settings_payload = {
    "stop_lead_settings": {
        "stop_on_reply": True,
        "stop_on_auto_reply": False,
        "stop_on_click": False
    }
}

response = requests.patch(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/{campaign_id}/settings",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY},
    json=settings_payload
)

Always enable stop_on_reply. Continuing to send follow-ups after someone replies creates a poor experience and can increase spam complaints.

Activating the Campaign

Once everything is configured, set the campaign status to ACTIVE:

Python

response = requests.post(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/{campaign_id}/status",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY},
    json={"status": "ACTIVE"}
)

print("Campaign is now ACTIVE!")

Campaign Statuses

Status	Description
`DRAFTED`	Campaign created but not yet active
`ACTIVE`	Currently sending emails on schedule
`PAUSED`	Temporarily stopped; can be resumed
`COMPLETED`	All leads have received all sequences
`STOPPED`	Manually stopped; leads won’t receive more emails

Python

# Pause a campaign
requests.post(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/{campaign_id}/status",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY},
    json={"status": "PAUSED"}
)

Monitoring Campaign Performance

Track your campaign’s performance with the analytics endpoints:

Python

# Get campaign analytics
response = requests.get(
    f"{BASE_URL}/campaigns/{campaign_id}/analytics",
    params={"api_key": API_KEY}
)

analytics = response.json()
print(f"Sent: {analytics.get('total_sent', 0)}")
print(f"Opened: {analytics.get('total_opened', 0)}")
print(f"Replied: {analytics.get('total_replied', 0)}")
print(f"Bounced: {analytics.get('total_bounced', 0)}")

Key Metrics to Watch

Metric	Good	Warning	Action Needed
Open Rate	> 50%	30–50%	< 30% — fix subject lines or deliverability
Reply Rate	> 5%	2–5%	< 2% — improve copy or targeting
Bounce Rate	< 3%	3–5%	> 5% — verify email list quality
Unsubscribe Rate	< 0.5%	0.5–1%	> 1% — review targeting and frequency

Troubleshooting

Campaign is ACTIVE but no emails are being sent

Check these in order: (1) Email accounts are linked and warmed up, (2) the schedule window includes the current day and time, (3) leads have been imported and are in “Not Contacted” status, (4) email accounts haven’t hit their daily sending limit.

High bounce rates

Verify your lead list quality. Use an email verification service before importing leads. Check that your email accounts’ DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are properly configured. Consider reducing your daily sending volume.

Low open rates

Test different subject lines with A/B testing. Check your sender reputation using tools like mail-tester.com. Ensure your email accounts are properly warmed up. Avoid spam trigger words in subject lines.

Sequences not advancing to the next step

Verify that the delay days are set correctly between steps. Check if stop_on_reply or other stop conditions are triggering. Ensure the campaign status is still ACTIVE.

What’s Next?

Email Warmup Guide

Warm up accounts before adding them to campaigns

Lead Management Guide

Import, segment, and manage leads at scale

Best Practices

Optimize deliverability, copy, and campaign structure

Webhook Integration

Get real-time notifications for campaign events

Get Started

Core Concepts

Guides

Overview

Campaign Architecture

Creating a Campaign

Building Sequences

Basic Sequence

Personalization Variables

A/B Testing Variants

Linking Email Accounts

Fetching Available Accounts

Configuring the Schedule

Campaign Settings

Track Settings

Stop Conditions

Activating the Campaign

Campaign Statuses

Monitoring Campaign Performance

Key Metrics to Watch

Troubleshooting

What’s Next?

Email Warmup Guide

Lead Management Guide

Best Practices

Webhook Integration

​Overview

​Campaign Architecture

​Creating a Campaign

​Building Sequences

​Basic Sequence

​Personalization Variables

​A/B Testing Variants

​Linking Email Accounts

​Fetching Available Accounts

​Configuring the Schedule

​Campaign Settings

​Track Settings

​Stop Conditions

​Activating the Campaign

​Campaign Statuses

​Monitoring Campaign Performance

​Key Metrics to Watch

​Troubleshooting

​What’s Next?

Email Warmup Guide

Lead Management Guide

Best Practices

Webhook Integration

Overview

Campaign Architecture

Creating a Campaign

Building Sequences

Basic Sequence

Personalization Variables

A/B Testing Variants

Linking Email Accounts

Fetching Available Accounts

Configuring the Schedule

Campaign Settings

Track Settings

Stop Conditions

Activating the Campaign

Campaign Statuses

Monitoring Campaign Performance

Key Metrics to Watch

Troubleshooting

What’s Next?