> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.emanate.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Managing Contacts in Sequences > Add, assign, switch, and stop sequences for individual contacts or bulk lists There are several ways to get contacts into a sequence, depending on whether you are working with one contact or hundreds. This page covers adding contacts, the difference between "Assign" and "Start," switching between templates, and how sequences stop. ## Adding a Single Contact Navigate to the contact you want to sequence. Click the sequence selector in the top-right corner of the contact's detail page. It reads **Switch Sequence** if the contact already has one, or **Add Sequence** if they do not. Select the sequence template you want to assign. Open the assigned sequence and click **Add to Queue** to start it. ## Adding Contacts in Bulk For larger batches, use **bulk actions from the Contacts page**: Navigate to the **Contacts** page. Use filters (including advanced filters) to narrow down the contacts you want to sequence. Use the checkboxes to select contacts. You can use **Select All** to grab everyone matching your filters. Pick one of the two bulk actions below: **Assign to Sequence** or **Assign and Start Sequence**. ### Assign to Sequence vs. Assign and Start Sequence This distinction is important because it determines whether outreach begins immediately: | Action | What Happens | When to Use | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Assign to Sequence** | Contacts are associated with the template but nothing sends. They appear in **Suggested** status. | When your FDAE or CSM is setting up sequences for you to review before launch. | | **Assign and Start Sequence** | Contacts are queued immediately and outreach begins (respecting send limits). | When you have already qualified the contacts and are ready for outreach to start. | If you are sequencing a large list (100+ contacts), use **Assign and Start Sequence** and let Emanate's queue handle the pacing. The queue respects your daily send limits and spreads outreach over multiple days automatically. See [Queue & Send Limits](/sequences/queue-and-limits). ## Adding Contacts via CSV You can import contacts from a CSV file into your **TAM (Total Addressable Market)**, then assign them to a sequence using the bulk workflow above. The CSV import flow handles deduplication and lets you map columns to Emanate's contact fields. Once imported, use the Contacts page filters to find your newly added contacts and assign them to a template. ## Switching Sequences If you need to move contacts from one template to another, you can **bulk switch sequences** from the Contacts page. Filter contacts by their current sequence, select them, and assign them to the new template. You **cannot switch contacts who are in an active sequence**. Stop their current sequence first, then assign the new one. ## Stopping Sequences ### Stopping a single sequence You can stop a sequence for an individual contact from the **sequence modal**. Open the contact's sequence and click **Stop**. Stopping is permanent for that sequence instance. The contact will not receive any remaining steps, and the sequence will not restart. ### Bulk stopping To stop sequences for multiple contacts at once, use the **Contacts page**: filter by **Current Sequence** to find contacts in a specific template, select them, and use the bulk action to stop their sequences. There is currently no bulk pause/resume for sequences. You can stop sequences in bulk, but stopping is a **terminal action**. Stopped sequences will not restart. If you need to temporarily halt all outreach (for a holiday, message revision, etc.), coordinate with your CSM. They can set your daily send limits to zero, which effectively pauses the queue without permanently stopping individual sequences. ## What Happens When a Contact Replies When a contact replies to a sequence email, Emanate **automatically stops the sequence for that contact**. No further steps will be sent. The sequence status moves to **Responded** and the reply appears in your inbox. Emanate distinguishes between different types of replies: * **Negative responses** (e.g., "no thanks" or "not interested") trigger the same automatic stop. * **Out-of-office (OOO) replies** cause the sequence to **pause** rather than stop permanently: * If the OOO message includes a return date, the sequence automatically resumes on that date. * If the OOO message has no date, the sequence pauses and resumes **one week later**. ### Does a reply stop sequences for other contacts at the same company? **No, not on reply alone.** When one contact at a company replies, Emanate only stops the sequence for that specific person. Sequences for their colleagues at the same account continue running. If you want to stop outreach to the entire account, you need to manually stop the other contacts' sequences. However, when a **meeting is booked**, the behavior is different. Emanate automatically stops sequences for **all contacts at the same account** when a meeting is detected. This prevents the awkward scenario of continuing to cold-email someone's colleague after you have already booked a call with the company. ### Reply vs. Meeting: Stop Behavior | Event | Effect | | ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Reply detected** | Only the replying contact's sequence stops. Other contacts at the same account continue. | | **Meeting booked** | Sequences stop for **all contacts at the account**. | ## Next Steps Design the blueprint your contacts will run through Understand pacing and how the queue protects deliverability Automate daily sequence starts from your scored TAM Why contacts disappear or sequences look stuck