Apollo.io + Instantly.ai Workflow: Step-by-Step Cold Email Automation for Beginners (2026)

For small businesses and lean sales teams, using one tool for everything often feels convenient — until it becomes limiting.

That’s why many teams now use a two-tool workflow:

• Apollo.io for lead sourcing and enrichment
• Instantly.ai for cold email automation and deliverability

This guide explains exactly how to combine Apollo.io and Instantly.ai, step by step, so you can run outbound campaigns efficiently without hiring a tech team.

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Who This Workflow Is For

• Solo founders & consultants
• Small teams (1–10 people)
• Beginners in outbound sales
• Businesses that want DIY automation
• Anyone struggling with manual follow-ups

If you want a clear, repeatable system, this workflow is built for you.

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Why Combine Apollo.io and Instantly.ai?

Apollo.io excels at:

• Finding B2B leads
• Job role targeting
• Company filtering
• Data enrichment

Instantly.ai excels at:

• Cold email automation
• Inbox rotation
• High deliverability
• Campaign scaling

Together, they replace:

• Manual prospecting
• Spreadsheet tracking
• One-off email tools

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Apollo.io + Instantly.ai Workflow (Beginner Dashboard Setup Guide)

Who This Setup Is For

This setup is ideal for:

• Solo founders
• Small teams (1–10 people)
• First-time users of sales automation tools
• Anyone without a technical background

No coding or advanced automation knowledge required.

Step 1: Getting Started with Apollo.io Dashboard (Lead Sourcing)

What You See on First Login

When you log into Apollo.io, the main dashboard is focused on:

• People search
• Company search
• Saved lists
• Email credits & usage

Beginner goal: Find and organize leads — nothing more.

Step 1.1: Setting Up Lead Filters

Start with simple filters:

• Location (country)
• Job title (e.g., Founder, Marketing Manager)
• Company size (1–50 employees)
• Industry (optional)

Avoid advanced filters at the beginning.

📌 Tip for beginners:
More filters ≠ better leads. Start broad, refine later.

Step 1.2: Saving Leads to Lists

Once leads appear:

• Select relevant leads
• Save them to a list (e.g., “Cold Outreach – SaaS Founders”)

This list will later be used for email outreach.

Step 2: Preparing Leads for Outreach

What to Check Before Exporting

Before sending leads to Instantly.ai:

• Ensure email status is “verified” or “recommended”
• Avoid risky or unverified emails
• Remove duplicates

📌 Beginner rule:
Quality > quantity (especially early).

Step 3: Instantly.ai Dashboard Overview (Email Automation)

What You See on First Login

Instantly.ai’s dashboard focuses on:

• Email accounts
• Campaigns
• Warm-up
• Analytics

Beginner goal: Set up email sending safely.

Step 4: Setting Up Email Accounts

Step 4.1: Add Email Accounts

• Connect your Gmail or Outlook inbox
• Enable inbox warm-up
• Start with 1–2 accounts

📌 Beginner mistake to avoid:
Never start campaigns without warm-up.

Step 4.2: Warm-Up Settings

Recommended for beginners:

• Daily emails: 20–30 per inbox
• Gradual increase
• Warm-up ON at all times

Step 5: Creating Your First Campaign in Instantly.ai

Step 5.1: Import Leads from Apollo.io

Upload:

• CSV file from Apollo
• Or copy-paste lead list

Ensure fields are mapped correctly:

• First name
• Company
• Email

Step 5.2: Writing a Simple Email Sequence

Begin with:

• 1 main email
• 1 follow-up (2–3 days later)

Keep it:

• Short
• Personalized
• Non-salesy

📌 Beginner tip:
Avoid links in the first email.

Step 6: Campaign Sending Settings (Safe Defaults)

Beginner Sending Rules

• 20–40 emails/day per inbox
• Send during business hours
• Avoid weekends initially

Step 7: Monitoring Replies & Optimizing

What to Track (Beginner Metrics)

Focus only on:

• Replies
• Bounces
• Spam warnings

Ignore advanced analytics at first.

Step 8: Complete Apollo + Instantly Workflow

Apollo.io → Lead Search → Save List → Export → Instantly.ai → Warm-Up → Campaign → Replies

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High-Level Workflow Overview

Here’s the full flow before we go into details:

1. Find leads in Apollo.io
2. Clean & filter the data
3. Export leads
4. Upload to Instantly.ai
5. Set up email accounts & warm-up
6. Create cold email sequence
7. Launch campaign
8. Track replies & optimize

Step 1: Find Leads in Apollo.io

Use Apollo.io to build your lead list by filtering:

• Job titles
• Company size
• Industry
• Location
• Technology used

This ensures you don’t send emails blindly.

Beginner tip:
Start with narrow targeting, not volume.

Step 2: Clean & Prepare Your Lead List

Before exporting:

• Remove incomplete profiles
• Exclude generic emails (info@, support@)
• Double-check job relevance

Clean data = better deliverability.

Step 3: Export Leads from Apollo.io

Export leads as CSV with:

• First name
• Last name
• Email
• Company name
• Job title

Keep it simple — you can enrich later.

Step 4: Upload Leads into Instantly.ai

In Instantly.ai:

• Create a new campaign
• Upload your CSV
• Map fields correctly

This step connects your research with execution.

Step 5: Set Up Email Accounts & Warm-Up

This step protects your inbox reputation.

In Instantly.ai:

• Add multiple sending inboxes
• Enable warm-up
• Turn on inbox rotation

Why this matters:
It keeps your emails out of spam.

Step 6: Create Your Cold Email Sequence

Keep it simple:

• 1 short intro email
• 1–2 follow-ups
• Personalize using Apollo data

Avoid long sales pitches.

Step 7: Launch the Campaign

Before launching:

• Start with low daily limits
• Monitor bounce rate
• Watch replies

Gradually scale once results are stable.

Step 8: Manage Replies & Optimize

Once replies come in:

• Respond manually (human touch matters)
• Pause uninterested leads
• Adjust subject lines if needed

Automation helps start conversations — humans close them.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Sending too many emails too fast
• Poor targeting
• Over-automation without review
• Ignoring warm-up
• Long, salesy email copy

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When This Workflow Works Best

• B2B services
• Agencies
• SaaS startups
• Consultants
• Recruiters
• Small sales teams

If you’re new to outbound sales, this Apollo + Instantly workflow is one of the simplest systems to launch without technical skills.

Final Thought

You don’t need a complex tech stack to run outbound sales.

With:

• Apollo.io for leads
• Instantly.ai for execution

You get a clear, scalable, beginner-friendly workflow that grows with your business.

Automation isn’t about replacing effort —
it’s about using your time where it matters most.

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FAQs

❓ Do I need technical skills to use Apollo.io and Instantly.ai together?

No. Both tools are beginner-friendly and designed for non-technical users.

❓ Can I use this workflow if I’m a solo founder?

Yes. This workflow is ideal for solo founders and small teams starting outbound sales.

❓ Should I warm up email accounts before launching campaigns?

Yes. Email warm-up is essential to avoid spam issues and protect deliverability.

❓ How many emails should I send per day as a beginner?

Start small (10–20 per inbox per day) and increase gradually once results are stable.

❓ Do I need to personalize every email?

Basic personalization using job title or company name is enough to start.

❓ Can I use Apollo.io only for leads and another tool for sending emails?

Yes. Many teams use Apollo for lead sourcing and Instantly.ai for email automation.

❓ Is this workflow suitable for agencies?

Yes. Agencies often use this setup to scale outbound campaigns safely.

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