By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know how to configure a forced sender in an email step, choose the right thread behavior, and use the campaign sender email variable to preserve a natural back-and-forth conversation.
This matters when you want someone like a founder, CEO, or team lead to step into a sequence without breaking the flow. Instead of sending what feels like a separate cold email, you can keep the outreach looking like a real ongoing conversation.
Why use thread behavior with forced sender?
Forced sender is useful when a specific person should send one step in a sequence, such as a CEO joining the conversation at the right moment. Previously, that message could feel disconnected if it arrived as a separate email.
With the new Thread behavior option, you can decide whether that forced-sender message starts a New thread or sends as a Reply. If you choose Reply, the experience feels much more natural and collaborative.
What happens when you choose Reply mode?
When Reply is selected for a forced-sender step:
The subject line is auto-filled from the previous email.
The forced sender is automatically added as CC on previous steps.
The main sender is automatically added as CC on the forced-sender step.
Both people stay visible in the conversation, which helps create a more natural “ping-pong” outreach flow.
This is especially helpful for collaborative outbound motions where one person starts the sequence and another joins later to add credibility or seniority.
Before you start
You should already know how to:
Create or edit a campaign sequence
Add an email step to a sequence
Work with sender assignments in your workspace
Phase 1: Enable a forced sender for an email step
Open your campaign and select the email step you want to edit.
In the step editor, click the settings icon, then enable Override sender. This turns the step into a forced-sender step and unlocks the sender-specific options for that email.
Use this when one step should come from a specific person rather than from the campaign’s normal sender rotation.
Phase 2: Choose who will send that step
In the Forced sender assignment field, open the sender dropdown.
Select the exact sender and email address you want to use for this step.
This is the step where you decide who joins the sequence. For example, you might choose a CEO’s mailbox for a late-stage follow-up to increase trust and reply rates.
Phase 3: Set the thread behavior
After a forced sender is assigned, look for the new Thread behavior option.
Choose between New thread and Reply.
New thread is the default and sends the email as a separate conversation.
Reply keeps the message inside the existing thread for a more natural handoff.
If you select Reply, the subject line is inherited from the earlier message, and the Cc field is updated automatically to keep both the main sender and forced sender in the thread.
Choose Reply when your goal is to make the sequence feel like a real internal follow-up between teammates rather than a series of unrelated outbound touches.
Using the campaign sender email variable
There is also a new variable called campaign sender email. You can use it to display the main sender’s email address dynamically.
This is useful when:
You want to insert the main sender’s email into the Cc field
You want to reference the campaign sender in a signature or message body
You want more transparency in collaborative outreach steps
You’ll find this variable in the variables list anywhere variables are supported.
Practical example
Here’s a common workflow:
Step 1: An SDR sends the first outbound email
Step 2: A follow-up email is sent from the SDR
Step 3: The CEO is forced as the sender for a higher-impact follow-up
Thread behavior: Set to Reply so the CEO’s message appears in the same email conversation
CC logic: The CEO is visible on earlier messages, and the SDR remains visible when the CEO steps in
The result is a much more believable conversation flow, where the prospect sees a coordinated outreach effort instead of disconnected emails.
Best practices
Use Reply when a senior stakeholder is joining an ongoing conversation.
Keep the forced-sender step short and contextual, since it should feel like a real follow-up.
Review the auto-filled subject line before launch to make sure it matches your intent.
Use campaign sender email in signatures or CC fields when you want clear visibility between teammates.
Test the sequence internally before launching at scale.
Troubleshooting and common pitfalls
Issue: The forced-sender email still feels separate
Root cause: The step is set to New thread instead of Reply.
Fix:
Open the email step
Confirm Override sender is enabled
Set Thread behavior to Reply
Issue: I can’t see the Thread behavior option
Root cause: No forced sender is assigned yet.
Fix:
Enable Override sender
Select a sender in Forced sender assignment
Check the step editor again for Thread behavior
Issue: The subject line changed automatically
Root cause: This is expected in Reply mode.
Fix:
Review the inherited subject line
Keep it if you want a continuous thread
Switch to New thread if you want a separate conversation instead
Issue: Extra recipients appear in CC
Root cause: The system adds recipients automatically to preserve the thread.
Fix:
Review the Cc field in the email step
Note that duplicates are removed once variables resolve
Add or remove additional recipients as needed
Quick recap
To make forced-sender outreach feel natural:
Enable Override sender on the email step
Select the sender who should send that specific email
Set Thread behavior to Reply if you want the message to stay in the existing conversation
Use campaign sender email when you want to display the main sender’s address in CC or signatures
This setup helps preserve the collaborative outreach effect and creates a more believable conversation for your prospects.