> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.jobin.cloud/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to automate candidate follow-up to interview

> Combine a linked sequence, stage rules, stage sequences, and reply handling so candidates move and get follow-ups without you managing each one.

To automate follow-up end to end, link your outreach sequence to the job, give each pipeline stage an entry rule, attach a follow-up sequence to the stages that need one, and let Reply Identification route the replies.

## What this gets you

* Candidates move through the pipeline and get the right message without constant babysitting.
* Your team spends its time on conversations, not on updating stages.
* The process is the same for every candidate, which is easy to explain to a client.

## Steps

1. Set up the job's pipeline with the stages you need, for example Assigned, Contacted, Replied, Interested, and Interview. See [How to add stages to a hiring pipeline](/how-to/add-stages-to-a-hiring-pipeline.md).
2. [Link your outreach sequence to the job](/how-to/link-a-sequence-to-a-job.md).
3. [Set an entry rule on each stage](/how-to/move-candidates-to-a-stage-automatically.md): **First successful outreach** for Contacted, **First human reply** for Replied, and **Interested** for Interested.
4. [Attach a sequence to the stages that need follow-up](/how-to/start-a-sequence-when-a-candidate-reaches-a-stage.md), for example a scheduling sequence on Interested, or a thank-you sequence on Rejected.
5. In the outreach sequence, open [Reply Identification](/how-to/handle-replies-automatically.md) so replies are categorized, and send **Maybe - Later** replies to a [nurture sequence](/how-to/start-a-sequence-when-a-candidate-replies.md).
6. Use a [Task step](/how-to/add-a-task-to-a-sequence.md) inside the stage sequences where a person should step in, such as a call.
7. Launch the outreach, then watch the pipeline fill itself.

## Tips

* Test with a small group first and check where each candidate lands before sending to a long list.
* Anything that changes while contacts are active follows the [sequence editing rules](/how-to/edit-a-sequence-with-active-contacts.md).

## Ideas to get more from it

* Save the pipeline as a template once it works, and reuse it on your next job.
* Add a Task step before sending anything sensitive so a recruiter can review it.
* Review the pipeline once a week and adjust the rules where candidates get stuck.

## Related

* [Job pipelines guide](/job-pipelines.md)
* [Smart sequences guide](/sequence-automation.md)
* [How to link a sequence to a job](/how-to/link-a-sequence-to-a-job.md)


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