Call then WhatsApp sequences
A sequence contacts each person on two channels, one after the other, and only moves to the second channel when the first didn’t reach them. Call your client’s leads, and anyone who doesn’t pick up gets a WhatsApp message a little later. Or send the WhatsApp message first and call only the people who haven’t replied. Each contact gets the best chance to respond, and nobody who already answered is contacted twice.
Which sequence should I use?
Section titled “Which sequence should I use?”| Sequence | Best for | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Call, then WhatsApp if no answer | Reminders and follow-ups where a conversation is best, with a written fallback. | The agent calls. If the contact doesn’t answer after the playbook’s tries, they get the WhatsApp template. |
| WhatsApp, then call if no reply | Lists that prefer messages, with a call for anyone who stays quiet. | The WhatsApp template goes first. If there’s no reply within the wait you set, the agent calls. |
- Voice AI Portal
Calls the contact
With the usual tries and time between them.
- Voice AI Portal
Answered?
The contact is reached; the sequence stops.
- Voice AI Portal
Not reached
No answer, busy, voicemail or failed, after every try.
- Voice AI Portal
Sends the WhatsApp message
After the wait you set, inside calling hours.
What counts as “no answer”?
Section titled “What counts as “no answer”?”A contact moves to the second step when the first step didn’t reach them: no answer, busy, a failed call, or a call answered by voicemail. Voicemail always counts as not reached, even if the agent left a message. A contact who answered, asked to stop, or has a wrong or missing detail doesn’t move on.
For WhatsApp, then call if no reply, the portal reads the WhatsApp chat just before calling. If the contact replied, they are marked reached and are not called.
How long does the second step wait?
Section titled “How long does the second step wait?”You choose it on the playbook:
| Sequence | Choices |
|---|---|
| Call, then WhatsApp if no answer | Straight away, 15 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours or 1 day after the last unanswered call |
| WhatsApp, then call if no reply | 1 hour, 4 hours, 1 day or 2 days after the message, to give the contact time to reply |
The second step still follows the playbook’s calling hours, so a message due at night goes out when the hours open the next day.
Set up a sequence
Section titled “Set up a sequence”- Make sure the client has both a calling setup and WhatsApp: an outbound agent and number in Agents & numbers, and a saved WhatsApp message template. See Configure outbound calling and WhatsApp campaigns.
- In Campaign playbooks, create a playbook with the Call, then WhatsApp if no answer or WhatsApp, then call if no reply channel and choose the wait. See Campaign playbooks.
- Assign it to the client, choosing the agent, the numbers and the WhatsApp template.
- The client launches it from the campaign builder like any other campaign.
Sequences need ElevenLabs, because the WhatsApp step runs through the client’s ElevenLabs WhatsApp number.
Follow a sequence
Section titled “Follow a sequence”The campaign page lists every attempt, and each contact’s Next try while they wait for the second step. The CSV export shows each contact’s tries, outcome and next try. Results count each contact once: a contact reached by WhatsApp after missing the call counts as reached.