Cadences (previously called Cadences Studio during its early access phase) automates a structured, ordered sequence of follow-up actions, such as emails, calls, and tasks, for Leads, Contacts, Deals, or Accounts, so outreach stays consistent without relying on someone remembering what to do next.

How it differs from a Workflow Rule

A Cadence can respond to how a record actually engages with each step, rather than just firing a fixed sequence regardless of behaviour. For example, if a Lead opens an outreach email, the next step might be a task for a rep to call them, but if they don't open it, the Lead instead receives a second email a couple of days later. Building the same responsive logic with Workflow Rules alone typically requires several separate rules with overlapping conditions.

How to set one up

1. Open Cadences. Go to Setup, then Automation, then Cadences.
2. Create a new one. Click Create Cadence, and choose the module it should run on, such as Leads, Contacts, or Deals.
3. Add your steps. Build out the sequence of emails, calls, and tasks, setting the time interval between each.
4. Set enrollment. Choose whether records are added manually or automatically based on a custom view. Automatic enrollment via a view is generally more efficient than manually adding records one at a time.
5. Set exit conditions. Define when a record should leave the cadence early, such as replying by email, meeting a custom criteria, or reaching a set exit date.

A worked example

A SaaS company might build a cadence for free trial sign-ups: an immediate welcome email with a quick-start guide, a best-practices email after three days, a call reminder for the rep after a week, and a special offer email two weeks in to encourage conversion to a paid plan, all running automatically without a rep needing to track each step manually.