How to use Instantly AI: Automate Outreach in 2026

by Fahim Joharder | Last updated Feb 20, 2026

Quick Start

This guide covers every Instantly feature:

Getting Started — Create account and basic setup
How to Use Unlimited Email Accounts — Connect and manage all your sending inboxes
How to Use Smart Warm-up & Inbox Rotation — Build sender reputation automatically
How to Use AI-Powered Lead Finder — Search 450M+ verified B2B contacts
How to Use Intuitive Campaign Builder — Create multi-step email sequences
How to Use Hyper-Personalization with AI — Generate tailored opening lines at scale
How to Use Automated CRM — Track leads and manage your sales pipeline
How to Use Deliverability Network — Keep emails out of spam folders
How to Use Campaign Analytics — Track open rates and reply rates

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I’ve used Instantly for over 12 months and tested every feature covered here. This tutorial comes from real hands-on experience — not marketing fluff or vendor screenshots.

Instantly is one of the most powerful cold email outreach tools available today.

But most users only scratch the surface of what it can do.

This guide shows you how to use every major feature.

Step by step, with screenshots and pro tips.

Instantly Tutorial

This complete Instantly tutorial walks you through every feature step by step, from initial setup to advanced tips that will make you a power user.

Instantly

Send cold emails that actually land in the inbox. Instantly gives you unlimited email accounts, automated warm-up, and a 450M+ B2B lead database. Start your free trial today — no credit card required.

TRY INSTANTLY NOW →

READ FULL REVIEW →

INSTANTLY ALTERNATIVES →

Getting Started with Instantly

Before using any feature, complete this one-time setup.

It takes about 3 minutes.

Watch this quick overview first:

Instantly.ai Review: Looking for a pre-warm up email for your marketing? This is the one!

Now let’s walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to instantly.ai and click “Start Free Trial.”

Enter your email address and create a password.

You can also sign up with your Google account.

✓ Checkpoint: Check your inbox for a confirmation email.

Step 2: Connect Your Email Accounts

Click “Email Accounts” in the left sidebar.

Choose your email provider (Gmail, Outlook, or SMTP).

Follow the OAuth or SMTP connection prompts.

Here’s what the dashboard looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see your email accounts listed in the dashboard.

Step 3: Set Up DNS Records

Make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are configured.

Instantly walks you through this during onboarding.

Proper DNS setup keeps your emails out of spam folders.

✅ Done: You’re ready to use any feature below.

Try instantly FOR FREE

How to Use Instantly Unlimited Email Accounts

Unlimited Email Accounts lets you connect as many inboxes as you need at no extra cost.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Unlimited Email Accounts in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Navigate to Email Accounts

Click “Email Accounts” in your left sidebar menu.

Then click the “Add Account” button in the top right.

Step 2: Choose Your Connection Method

Select Google, Microsoft, or any SMTP provider.

For Gmail, use OAuth for the fastest setup.

For other providers, enter your SMTP and IMAP credentials.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your new email account should show a green “Connected” status.

Step 3: Set Daily Sending Limits

Set each account to send 30 emails or fewer per day.

This protects your sender reputation across all inboxes.

✅ Result: You now have multiple email accounts ready for campaign rotation.

💡 Pro Tip: Buy pre-warmed email accounts directly from Instantly to skip the warm-up waiting period entirely.

Try instantly FOR FREE

How to Use Instantly Smart Warm-up & Inbox Rotation

Smart Warm-up & Inbox Rotation lets you build sender reputation and rotate sending across multiple inboxes automatically.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Smart Warm-up & Inbox Rotation in action:

Instantly Smart Warm-up & Inbox Rotation

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Enable Warm-up for Each Account

Go to your Email Accounts page.

Click the flame icon next to each email account.

Step 2: Configure Warm-up Settings

Set the daily warm-up email count to start low.

Instantly gradually increases sending volume over time.

The warm-up sends emails between other Instantly user accounts.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see the flame icon turn active with warm-up stats.

Step 3: Wait 2-3 Weeks Before Sending Campaigns

Let warm-up run for 20-30 days before heavy sending.

Keep warm-up active even after you start campaigns.

✅ Result: Your email accounts now have built-in sender reputation and rotate automatically during campaigns.

💡 Pro Tip: Never disable warm-up, even during active campaigns. It continuously maintains your sender reputation in the background.

Try instantly FOR FREE

How to Use Instantly AI-Powered Lead Finder

AI-Powered Lead Finder lets you search a database of 450M+ verified B2B contacts using advanced filters.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch AI-Powered Lead Finder in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Open the Lead Finder

Click “Lead Finder” in the left sidebar menu.

You can search for companies or individual contacts.

Step 2: Apply Your Filters

Filter by job title, industry, company size, and location.

Use tech stack filters to find companies using specific tools.

Add keyword filters to narrow your search results.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see a list of verified contacts matching your filters.

Step 3: Save and Export Your Leads

Select the leads you want and click “Add to List.”

You can also export them as a CSV file.

✅ Result: You now have a targeted list of verified leads ready for your campaigns.

💡 Pro Tip: Use the “Lookalike” filter to find contacts similar to your best-performing leads from past campaigns.

Try instantly FOR FREE

How to Use Instantly Intuitive Campaign Builder

Intuitive Campaign Builder lets you create multi-step cold email sequences with automated follow-ups.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Intuitive Campaign Builder in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Create a New Campaign

Click “Campaigns” in the left sidebar, then “New Campaign.”

Give your campaign a clear, descriptive name.

Step 2: Write Your Email Sequence

Write your first email with a short subject line and body.

Add follow-up steps with different angles and subject lines.

Set the number of days between each follow-up email.

Use spin syntax to create unique variations of each message.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see your full email sequence with all steps listed.

Step 3: Upload Leads and Launch

Upload your lead list via CSV or pull from Lead Finder.

Assign email accounts and set your sending schedule.

Click “Launch Campaign” to start sending.

✅ Result: Your multi-step campaign is now running with automated follow-ups.

💡 Pro Tip: Create A/B test variants by adding multiple versions of each email step to find the best-performing copy.

Try instantly FOR FREE

How to Use Instantly Hyper-Personalization with AI

Hyper-Personalization with AI lets you generate tailored opening lines and email content at scale using AI prompts.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Hyper-Personalization with AI in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Access the AI Prompt Feature

Open your campaign and go to the sequence editor.

Click on the AI icon next to any email field.

Step 2: Write Your AI Prompt

Tell the AI what kind of personalized content you want.

Reference lead data like company name, job title, or industry.

The AI generates unique opening lines for every lead.

Here’s what this looks like:

Instantly Unified Inbox & Smart Scheduling

✓ Checkpoint: You should see AI-generated personalized lines previewed for each lead.

Step 3: Review and Apply

Review the AI-generated content for accuracy.

Edit any lines that need tweaking before sending.

✅ Result: Every lead now receives a unique, personalized email that feels hand-written.

💡 Pro Tip: Include your campaign goal in the AI prompt for better results. “Write a friendly opener mentioning their recent funding round” works better than “write an opener.”

Try instantly FOR FREE

How to Use Instantly Automated CRM

Automated CRM lets you track leads, manage your sales pipeline, and monitor all interactions in one place.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Automated CRM in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Open the CRM Dashboard

Click “CRM” in the left sidebar menu.

You’ll see your pipeline stages laid out visually.

Step 2: Set Up Your Pipeline Stages

Create custom stages like “Interested,” “Meeting Booked,” and “Closed.”

Drag and drop leads between stages as they progress.

Instantly auto-populates lead data from your campaigns.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your pipeline should show leads organized by stage with contact details visible.

Step 3: Manage Replies with Unibox

Use the Unibox feature to see all replies in one inbox.

AI sorts responses by sentiment: positive, neutral, or negative.

✅ Result: All your leads, pipeline stages, and replies are managed from one dashboard.

💡 Pro Tip: Enable the AI Reply Agent to draft contextual replies within five minutes of receiving a response.

Try instantly FOR FREE

How to Use Instantly Deliverability Network

Deliverability Network lets you monitor inbox placement and keep your emails out of spam folders.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Access the Deliverability Dashboard

Navigate to the Deliverability section in your sidebar.

You’ll see placement scores for each email account.

Step 2: Run Inbox Placement Tests

Click “Run Test” to check where your emails land.

Aim for over 80% primary inbox placement rate.

Review which providers flag your emails as spam.

✓ Checkpoint: You should see inbox placement percentages for each email account.

Step 3: Fix Deliverability Issues

Follow Instantly’s recommendations to improve placement.

Common fixes include adjusting DNS records and lowering send volume.

✅ Result: Your emails consistently land in primary inboxes instead of spam folders.

💡 Pro Tip: Run inbox placement tests weekly to catch deliverability drops before they hurt your campaigns.

Try instantly FOR FREE

How to Use Instantly Campaign Analytics

Campaign Analytics lets you track open rates, reply rates, and click-through rates for every campaign.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Analytics Tab

Click “Analytics” in the left sidebar menu.

Select the campaign you want to analyze.

Step 2: Review Key Metrics

Check your open rate — aim for 40-60% as a baseline.

Track your reply rate — 5% or higher means good performance.

Monitor bounce rate — keep it below 1% for domain health.

✓ Checkpoint: You should see a dashboard with all campaign metrics displayed.

Step 3: Refine Your Strategy

Use data to improve subject lines and email body copy.

Double down on sequences with the highest reply rates.

✅ Result: You now make data-driven decisions to improve every future campaign.

💡 Pro Tip: Compare A/B test results weekly. Small subject line changes can double your open rates.

Try instantly FOR FREE

Instantly Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After testing Instantly for over 12 months, here are my best tips.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Create new campaign	Ctrl + N
Open Unibox	Ctrl + U
Navigate to Analytics	Ctrl + A
Save draft email	Ctrl + S

Hidden Features Most People Miss

Spin Syntax: Use {curly brackets|with pipes} to create unique email variations that bypass spam filters.
Custom Tracking Domains: Set up your own tracking domain to improve click-through rates and avoid spam triggers.
Subsequences: Create conditional follow-ups that trigger based on specific lead behavior or responses.

Try instantly FOR FREE

Instantly Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Sending Campaigns Before Warm-up Is Complete

❌ Wrong: Launching campaigns the same day you connect new email accounts.

✅ Right: Wait 20-30 days for warm-up to build sender reputation before going live.

Mistake #2: Sending Too Many Emails Per Account

❌ Wrong: Setting daily limits to 100+ emails per account to speed things up.

✅ Right: Keep it at 30 emails per account per day and add more accounts instead.

Mistake #3: Skipping Email Verification

❌ Wrong: Uploading unverified lead lists and hoping for the best.

✅ Right: Always verify emails first to keep your bounce rate below 1%.

Try instantly FOR FREE

Instantly Troubleshooting

Problem: Emails Landing in Spam

Cause: Warm-up wasn’t completed or DNS records are misconfigured.

Fix: Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Run an inbox placement test. Reduce daily send volume to 20 emails per account until placement improves.

Problem: Email Account Disconnected

Cause: OAuth token expired or your email provider revoked access.

Fix: Remove the account and reconnect it using OAuth. For Google, check your app permissions in your Google account settings.

Problem: Low Open Rates Below 30%

Cause: Subject lines are too generic or your emails are being filtered.

Fix: A/B test shorter subject lines (3-5 words). Check deliverability scores. Remove links from the first email in your sequence.

📌 Note: If none of these fix your issue, contact Instantly support.

Try instantly FOR FREE

What is Instantly?

Instantly is a cold email outreach tool that automates sending, warm-up, and lead generation at scale.

Think of it like a command center for all your cold email campaigns.

Watch this quick overview:

Instantly.ai Full Tutorial & Review - Watch This Before You Buy!

It includes these key features:

Unlimited Email Accounts: Connect as many inboxes as you want at no extra cost.
Smart Warm-up & Inbox Rotation: Build sender reputation and rotate accounts automatically.
AI-Powered Lead Finder: Search 450M+ verified B2B contacts with advanced filters.
Intuitive Campaign Builder: Create multi-step email sequences with automated follow-ups.
Hyper-Personalization with AI: Generate tailored opening lines and email content at scale.
Automated CRM: Track leads, manage pipeline stages, and handle replies from Unibox.
Deliverability Network: Monitor inbox placement and protect sender reputation.
Campaign Analytics: Track open rates, reply rates, and click-through rates in real time.

For a full review, see our Instantly review.

Try instantly FOR FREE

Instantly Pricing

Here’s what Instantly costs in 2026:

Plan	Price	Best For
Growth	$30/month	Solo senders testing cold email for the first time
Hypergrowth	$77.60/month	Growing teams scaling outreach with more contacts
Light Speed	$286.30/month	Agencies and enterprises with high-volume needs
Enterprise	Custom	Large organizations needing dedicated support and custom limits

Free trial: Yes — 14-day free trial on all outreach plans.

Money-back guarantee: No refunds, but your access continues until the billing period ends.

💰 Best Value: Hypergrowth at $77.60/month — it unlocks Unibox, A/B testing, and 25,000 contacts.

Try instantly FOR FREE

Instantly vs Alternatives

How does Instantly compare? Here’s the competitive landscape:

Tool	Best For	Price	Rating
Instantly	Unlimited email accounts and warm-up	$30/mo	⭐ 4.3
Snov.io	Email finder and verification combo	$39/mo	⭐ 4.6
Apollo	All-in-one sales intelligence platform	$49/mo	⭐ 4.7
Hunter.io	Finding emails by domain	$34/mo	⭐ 4.4
Reply.io	Multi-channel outreach (email, LinkedIn, SMS)	$59/mo	⭐ 4.6
UpLead	95% accurate B2B contact data	$99/mo	⭐ 4.7
Mailshake	Simple cold email for beginners	$25/mo	⭐ 4.7
Lemlist	Personalized images and video in emails	$55/mo	⭐ 4.4

Quick picks:

Best overall: Instantly — unlimited email accounts and built-in warm-up at every tier.
Best budget: Mailshake — clean interface at $25/month for beginners.
Best for beginners: Snov.io — email finder plus outreach in one simple dashboard.
Best for multi-channel: Reply.io — combines email, LinkedIn, calls, and SMS in one platform.

🎯 Instantly Alternatives

Looking for Instantly alternatives? Here are the top options:

🚀 Snov.io: All-in-one platform with email finder, verifier, and drip campaigns built into one dashboard.
💰 Apollo: Massive B2B database with 275M+ contacts, built-in dialer, and powerful sales intelligence.
🎨 Hunter.io: Best for finding anyone’s email by domain name with a simple, fast interface.
⚡ Reply.io: Multi-channel outreach across email, LinkedIn, SMS, WhatsApp, and phone calls.
🔒 UpLead: 95% data accuracy guarantee with real-time email verification on every contact.
🧠 Mailshake: Simple and affordable cold email tool with built-in phone dialer for small teams.
👶 Lemlist: Personalized images, custom landing pages, and video embeds make emails stand out.
🏢 Woodpecker: Best deliverability monitoring with adaptive sending and bounce detection for agencies.
🔧 Smartlead: Advanced deliverability with IP rotation, smart servers, and unlimited warm-ups from day one.
🌟 Saleshandy: Budget-friendly at $25/month with unlimited email accounts and built-in verification.
⭐ Warmbox: Dedicated email warm-up tool that works alongside any cold email platform you already use.
🎯 Maildoso: Pre-warmed email accounts and done-for-you domain setup for instant campaign readiness.
💼 Manyreach: Affordable cold email sending with built-in warm-up and rotation for growing teams.
🔥 Warmy: AI-powered warm-up engine that adapts to your sending patterns for maximum inbox placement.

For the full list, see our Instantly alternatives guide.

⚔️ Instantly Compared

Here’s how Instantly stacks up against each competitor:

Instantly vs Snov.io: Instantly wins on unlimited accounts and warm-up. Snov.io wins with a built-in email finder and verifier.
Instantly vs Apollo: Apollo has a bigger contact database and sales intelligence. Instantly has better deliverability and unlimited sending.
Instantly vs Hunter.io: Hunter excels at email finding by domain. Instantly is better for full campaign automation and warm-up.
Instantly vs Reply.io: Reply.io offers multi-channel outreach. Instantly focuses on email-only with superior deliverability tools.
Instantly vs UpLead: UpLead has the most accurate contact data. Instantly is better for sending campaigns at scale.
Instantly vs Mailshake: Mailshake is simpler and cheaper. Instantly offers more advanced automation and unlimited accounts.
Instantly vs Lemlist: Lemlist has better email personalization features. Instantly scales more easily with unlimited warm-ups.
Instantly vs Woodpecker: Woodpecker has strong deliverability monitoring. Instantly offers a larger lead database and AI features.
Instantly vs Smartlead: Both excel at deliverability. Smartlead has IP rotation. Instantly has a larger lead database.
Instantly vs Saleshandy: Saleshandy starts cheaper at $25/month. Instantly has better warm-up and a built-in lead database.
Instantly vs Warmbox: Warmbox is warm-up only. Instantly gives you warm-up plus full campaign sending and CRM.
Instantly vs Maildoso: Maildoso provides pre-warmed accounts. Instantly offers a full outreach platform with analytics.
Instantly vs Manyreach: Manyreach is budget-friendly for basic sending. Instantly has AI-powered features and a larger lead database.
Instantly vs Warmy: Warmy focuses only on email warm-up. Instantly bundles warm-up with campaigns, leads, and CRM.

Try instantly FOR FREE

Start Using Instantly Now

You learned how to use every major Instantly feature:

✅ Unlimited Email Accounts
✅ Smart Warm-up & Inbox Rotation
✅ AI-Powered Lead Finder
✅ Intuitive Campaign Builder
✅ Hyper-Personalization with AI
✅ Automated CRM
✅ Deliverability Network
✅ Campaign Analytics

Next step: Pick one feature and try it now.

Most people start with Unlimited Email Accounts.

It takes less than 5 minutes.

Try instantly FOR FREE

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Instantly AI work?

Instantly automates cold email outreach by letting you connect unlimited email accounts, warm them up automatically, and send personalized sequences at scale. It also includes a B2B lead database with 450M+ contacts and a built-in CRM to manage replies.

What are the first essential steps to begin with Instantly AI?

Start by creating your account and connecting your email accounts. Then enable warm-up for each account and wait 2-3 weeks before launching campaigns. During that time, set up your DNS records and prepare your lead list.

Does Instantly AI have a free trial?

Yes, Instantly offers a 14-day free trial on its outreach plans. You can connect unlimited email accounts, enable warm-up, and test the campaign builder. No credit card is required to start the trial.

How to run a campaign on Instantly?

Go to the Campaigns section, click “New Campaign,” and write your email sequence with follow-ups. Upload your leads via CSV or pull from the Lead Finder. Assign your email accounts, set your sending schedule, and click “Launch Campaign.”

How many emails can I send with Instantly AI?

The Growth plan allows 5,000 emails per month. Hypergrowth lets you send 125,000 emails per month. You can connect unlimited email accounts on every plan, so you scale by adding more accounts rather than increasing limits.

How to start an Instantly campaign?

First, make sure your email accounts are connected and warmed up. Then create a new campaign, write your email sequence, upload your lead list, and assign sending accounts. Set your timezone-based schedule and launch. Track results in the Analytics tab.

What can Instantly AI do?

Instantly handles cold email sending, email warm-up, lead generation from a 450M+ database, AI-powered personalization, campaign analytics, inbox management via Unibox, and CRM for tracking your sales pipeline. It’s a full cold outreach platform.

How does Instantly work?

You connect your email accounts, warm them up through Instantly’s network of other users, find leads using the built-in database, create personalized email sequences, and launch automated campaigns. Instantly handles sending, follow-ups, and reply management automatically.

How to cancel Instantly AI subscription?

Go to Settings, then Billing, and click “Cancel Subscription.” Monthly plans cancel immediately at the end of your billing period. Annual plans don’t offer refunds for unused months. Your data stays accessible until the paid period expires.

How many users does Instantly have?

Instantly is used by over 20,000 businesses for cold email outreach. The platform’s warm-up network includes over 4.2 million email accounts, which helps build strong sender reputation across its user base.