# Sequence steps and branches

Every step type in a Victoria AI sequence, how delays work, and how the connection-accepted branch splits leads.

A sequence is the list of steps each lead goes through. You edit it in **Campaigns → your campaign → Sequence**. Changes save automatically; the editor shows **Saving…** and then **Saved**.

## Sequence step types

Add a step with the **+** button below the last step, or inside a branch. The menu offers only the steps allowed at that point.

| Step | What it does | Content |
| - | - | - |
| **View Profile** | Visits the lead's LinkedIn profile. | None |
| **Connection Request** | Sends a LinkedIn connection request. | An optional note of up to 300 characters |
| **If/Then Branch** | Checks whether the lead accepted the connection request and splits into **Yes** and **No** paths. | None; added automatically |
| **LinkedIn Message** | Sends a LinkedIn direct message. | Message text |
| **Email** | Sends an email. | Subject and body |

The connection note limit counts the message after variables are filled in, so a long company name can push a note over. The editor shows a character counter.

A sequence can hold up to 40 steps, counting both A/B variations and every branch.

## Step delays in a sequence

Every step except the branch has a **Wait after this step** setting, in whole days. It's the gap between this step and the next one for the same lead. A wait of 0 sends the next step on the same day. The editor labels each step with the day it falls on.

The wait starts when the step actually goes out, not when the lead was added. A step only goes out inside the campaign's work hours and daily limits, so real gaps can be longer than the setting. The longest wait on one step is 90 days.

## The connection-accepted branch

When you add a **Connection Request**, the editor adds an **If/Then Branch** right after it. The two are a pair: deleting either one deletes the other and every step inside the branches.

How the branch decides:

1. The connection request goes out.
2. Victoria waits for the request's **Wait after this step**. That wait is the lead's window to accept.
3. Victoria checks the lead's LinkedIn connection once. If they're connected, the lead takes **Yes**; if not, **No**.

The check happens once. A lead who accepts after the check stays on the **No** path. If the **No** path is empty and the lead hasn't accepted, Victoria checks again up to 3 times, 24 hours apart, before marking the lead complete.

The branch has its own wait between the check and the first step on either path. The built-in templates set one, and the **Sequence** tab doesn't show or change it, so the first branch step can go out later than its day label suggests.

## Which steps are allowed where in a sequence

- **Before a connection request**: View Profile, Email, Connection Request.
- **Yes path** (accepted): View Profile, LinkedIn Message, Email.
- **No path** (not accepted): View Profile, Email.

LinkedIn messages only go to people you're connected with, so a **LinkedIn Message** step exists only on the **Yes** path. Once a sequence has a connection request, new steps go inside its branches.

## Multichannel or single-channel sequences

A **multichannel** sequence uses both LinkedIn and email. The usual shape is a connection request first, LinkedIn messages and emails on **Yes**, and emails on **No**. It reaches the most leads, and it needs a LinkedIn account and a mailbox assigned to the campaign.

A **LinkedIn-only** sequence needs only a LinkedIn account and reaches only leads with a LinkedIn URL. With an empty **No** path, people who don't accept get nothing further.

An **email-only** sequence needs only a mailbox and reaches only leads with an email address.

A lead who lacks the data for a step skips it: an email step is skipped for a lead with no email address. The readiness check warns, or blocks, when many leads can't be reached by the sequence. See [Preflight checks](https://docs.versionseven.ai/help/preflight-checks).

## Preview a sequence step before it sends

Open an email, connection request or LinkedIn message step and select **Preview**. Pick one of the campaign's leads to see the message with its fields filled in. If the message uses AI Personalization fields, **Generate** writes them for that lead, using the same research as a real send. See [Personalization fields](https://docs.versionseven.ai/help/personalization-fields).