Context

When managing sequences in play builder, you may need to make modifications such as adding new steps or delays to an existing sequence. It's important to understand how these changes impact both existing and new enrollments.

Answer

When you make changes to a sequence, such as adding new steps or delays, these changes will only apply to new (or queued) enrollments. Existing enrollments that have completed Step 1 will continue to follow the original version of the sequence they were enrolled in.

However, if you edit the email content of existing steps, queued enrollments (those that have not yet received Step 1) will automatically receive the updated messaging without requiring a manual upgrade. This means that if you need to update email copy or other content for people who have already started a sequence (beyond Step 1), you cannot directly apply those changes to their existing enrollments.

Key points to remember:

Note: If your sequence includes delays before the first step, enrolled contacts won't generate tasks immediately. Tasks will only appear once the delay period has passed and the step is ready to execute. You can verify if delays are causing this by editing your sequence and checking for delay settings above the first step.

How to upgrade queued enrollments:

When you make changes to a Sequence, you can update new enrollments (i.e., those that have not completed Step 1) to the latest version of the sequence. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the updated Sequence enrollment page.

2. Filter by status and select "queued."

3. Choose "Select All."

4. Click "Upgrade to Latest Version" located at the bottom-right of the screen.

Note that this upgrade process updates the sequence steps and content, but does not change task or email assignments. See the section below for reassigning tasks and emails.

Additionally, if you've changed task assignment settings within sequence steps (such as switching from "Mailbox owner" to "Sender"), existing enrollments will retain their original task assignee and require manual reassignment.

Note: When viewing individual sequence enrollments, the "Assign to" button may appear grayed out with a message about manual email tasks, even if your sequence uses automatic emails. To reassign tasks, use the bulk reassignment method below. Task ownership and mailbox ownership are independent—reassigning tasks will not change which mailbox sends the emails.

• Navigate to Dashboard > Leading > Email Backlog

• Use "Reassign Sequence Enrollments" for the specific sequence

• This only works for queued emails that haven't been sent yet

• See How to reassign emails in the backlog for detailed instructions

Important limitations:

• Mid-sequence scheduled emails (beyond Step 1) cannot be bulk reassigned and must be updated manually

• Once Step 1 has been sent, mailboxes cannot be switched mid-sequence to avoid inconsistent recipient experience

Workaround for updating existing enrollments

If you need to apply changes to people who have already started a sequence (beyond Step 1), you'll need to manually re‑enroll them:

1. Create an audience of the people currently enrolled in the sequence (use the People section in Audience Builder)

2. Un‑enroll those people from the current sequence

3. Ensure the re‑enrollment wait time is set to allow immediate re‑enrollment:

   • Navigate to Settings > Sequences > Re‑enrollment Rules

   • Adjust the wait period to 0 days (or your desired duration)

   • Note: If contacts were recently enrolled in another sequence, a global wait period (e.g., 100 days) may prevent immediate re‑enrollment

   • Enable the “Allow re‑enrollment into the same sequence” toggle (requires admin permissions)

4. Enroll them in a new sequence that contains your updates

Important: Re‑enrolled contacts will resume at their next step in the sequence, not from the beginning. If you need contacts to start from Step 1, you must enroll them in a new or duplicated sequence rather than re‑enrolling them in the same sequence.

Important limitations:

Troubleshooting re‑enrollment errors:

1. Verify the “Allow re‑enrollment into the same sequence” toggle is ON.

2. Ensure the wait period is set to 0 days for immediate re‑enrollment.

• People cannot be enrolled in two sequences simultaneously, so un‑enrollment is required

• Assignment changes (such as routing to different owners or mailboxes) cannot be applied to mid-sequence enrollments; tasks can be bulk reassigned via the Tasks tab, but scheduled emails beyond Step 1 must be updated manually

• This workaround will break email thread continuity – recipients will see a new thread rather than a continuation of the previous emails

• Direct updates to existing enrollments are not currently supported; this is a known feature limitation