Does Outreach send without me?
Only drafts you approve, or runs you start in Catalyst.
OutreachHelp
How to use Outreach.
Getting started
- 1Connect your inbox.
- 2Approve, edit or skip the drafts waiting in Needs you.
- 3Answer the people who wrote back, also in Needs you.
- 4Use Catalyst to restart quiet conversations.
Questions
Why is someone in Needs you?
Each person shows the reason, such as a reply or a question.
What if my inbox disconnects?
A yellow banner appears on Home. Choose Reconnect.
Is there an iPhone app?
Yes. Outreach for iOS.
Your first 10 minutes
What to do first
Do these in order the first time. After that, most days are just step 5.
- 1
Look around first (optional)
You can open Growth without an account. You will see a preview with live values turned off, so you can get a feel for the workspace before connecting anything.
Preview Growth - 2
Sign in
Tell us which email you send from, then sign in. Nothing uses your real data until you do.
Sign in - 3
Connect your mailbox
In Inbox, connect the email account you use with clients and contacts. For Gmail, use "Connect with Google" so your password stays with Google. Then run a sync.
Connect a mailbox - 4
Make sure your contacts are there
Outreach needs people to follow up with. If Catalyst looks empty, add or import contacts in Network (in the apps menu).
Open Network - 5
Review your first drafts
Open Catalyst to see who has gone quiet, then go to Needs you to approve, edit, or reject what Maya drafted. That is the core habit: a few minutes of review each day.
Open Needs you
Names you'll see
Outreach terms, in plain language
- TODD
- Your built-in assistant. Ask it about a contact, an email, or the page you are on.
- Maya
- The AI “marketing director” that drafts outreach messages for you to review.
- Growth
- Your home screen: overall outreach health and where to act next.
- Inbox also called Inbox Access
- Where you connect mailboxes, sync messages, and reply.
- Needs you
- Drafts and replies waiting on your decision, each with a short reason why.
- Signal Engine
- What happens after you approve: the Outbox of approved emails waiting to send, what has been sent, and what Maya plans next.
- Catalyst also called Email Processor
- A queue of contacts that have gone quiet, oldest first.
- Email Composer
- A focused editor for writing or polishing a single message.
- Engagement also called Ad Engagement
- Clicks and engagement activity from your outreach.
Help on every page
Stuck? Ask TODD.
TODD is the assistant built into Outreach. Move your mouse toward the bottom-right corner of any page and the Talk to TODD box appears. Click it to ask about an email, a contact, a signal, or the page you're on. TODD can see the page you're looking at, so you can skip the explaining.
On a phone or tablet, tap the bottom-right corner to show the launcher.
A closer look
How to use each workspace
Come back here whenever you want more detail on a specific part of Outreach.
01
Check Growth for what needs you
Growth is your Outreach home screen. It brings campaign momentum, follow-ups that need attention, and conversation health into one place so you can see where to act next.
- Read the health meters for a quick sense of how your outreach is doing overall.
- The diagnosis board points out problems (for example, low replies or stalled follow-ups) and suggests what to do about them.
- Use the shortcuts to jump into Needs you, Inbox, Catalyst, or Email Composer.
- TODD highlights relationships that are quiet, engaged, or ready for a follow-up.
02
Connect and use your Inbox
Inbox keeps your mailbox connection, synced messages, and direct replies in the same Outreach workspace.
- Open Inbox settings to connect a mailbox, test the connection, and choose a primary inbox.
- For Gmail, use Connect with Google so your Google password stays with Google.
- Sync the mailbox to pull in the latest messages.
- Inbox shows one day at a time: who is waiting on you, what TODD handled and what you answered.
- Send uses TODD's draft without opening the letter; Undo takes it back for five seconds.
- Start answering walks every waiting letter in order. Ask TODD searches every day.
03
Decide in Needs you
Needs you sits between a drafted message and delivery. It lists what Maya drafted and the replies waiting on you, each with a short reason why.
- Pick an item to see the message and why it needs you.
- Approve a draft to queue it for delivery, or edit it in Email Composer first.
- Reject it to have Maya try a different angle, or discard it if it should not go out.
- Approved emails wait in Signal Engine’s Outbox; sending runs weekdays, 7am–11pm Pacific.
- Use Signal Engine’s Sent tab to confirm what has gone out and Plan to see what Maya is working on next.
04
Work the Catalyst queue
Catalyst finds people you have not contacted recently so you can reconnect before those relationships quietly go cold.
- Start at the top of the queue, where the follow-up gaps are longest.
- Change the batch size to work through a smaller or larger group at a time.
- Check each contact and their context before letting processing continue.
- When you are ready to reach out, continue to the email step.
- If the queue is empty, add or import contacts in Network.
05
Write and improve an email
Email Composer gives you a focused place to write, revise, and send one message, with the recipient and their context alongside.
- Open the composer from a draft or from anywhere in Outreach.
- Check the recipient, subject, and message before sending.
- Ask TODD to help with tone, clarity, length, or a follow-up angle.
- Use the composer when a draft needs your editing before you approve it.
- Sending needs an approved sending address. If the page asks, request approval.
06
Read engagement signals
Engagement turns clicks and other activity into a clearer view of who is leaning in and where your outreach is building momentum.
- Use the Clicks view to see which messages and links got attention.
- Switch to Engagement for the broader picture.
- Compare time periods and look for patterns worth following up on.
- Treat signals as context for what to say next, not as a replacement for the conversation.
Common questions
Before you get started
Does Outreach replace Gmail or Outlook?
No. You keep your email provider. Outreach connects to your mailbox and works as the follow-up layer on top: deciding who to contact, drafting the message, and tracking what happens next.
Will it send emails without me?
Drafts wait in Needs you for your review, and you can approve, edit, rewrite, or discard each one. Automatic sending is limited by a daily cap and a warm-up period, so your mailbox is never flooded.
Can I try it before signing in?
Yes. Growth and the other workspaces open in preview mode for guests, with live values turned off. Sign in and connect a mailbox to work with your own contacts and messages.
Do I need a paid plan?
You can look around and connect your workspace first. Ongoing outreach sending needs an active plan and an approved sending address. See Pricing for current plans.
How is this different from a CRM?
A CRM stores relationships and waits for you to act. Outreach watches those relationships, tells you when one needs attention, and drafts the follow-up, so the next step is already started.
Ready?
