TL;DR
The moment a lead replies to any of your emails, their sequence stops automatically
This applies to every reply category: Interested, Not Interested, Out of Office, Unsubscribed or anything else
No manual action is needed. You don't need to remove them or re-import your list
The lead remains visible in your campaign and in Master Inbox. They just stop receiving further emails
To also stop emailing other contacts at the same company, turn on Company-Level Auto-Pause in Campaign Setup
When you'd use this
A common question from customers is whether a lead who replies negatively, for example with "Not Interested", will continue to receive follow-up emails. The answer is no, and no action is required on your end to make that happen.
Understanding this saves you from unnecessary manual workarounds and ensures you are not accidentally over-emailing contacts who have already responded.
How it works
The moment any lead replies to one of your campaign emails, Email Engine automatically removes them from the sending sequence. They will not receive any further emails from that campaign regardless of how many follow-up steps remain.
This is automatic and immediate. It applies to every single reply type:
Interested: sequence stops, lead appears in Master Inbox as Interested
Not Interested: sequence stops, lead appears in Master Inbox as Not Interested
Out of Office: sequence stops, lead appears in Master Inbox as Out of Office. If the campaign setting If a lead is categorized as Out of Office, continue follow-ups after N days is on, their follow-ups continue after that many days.
Unsubscribed: sequence stops, lead is marked as Unsubscribed
Bounced (not a reply, but handled the same way): sequence stops, lead is marked as Bounced
Meeting Booked: sequence stops, lead appears in Master Inbox as Meeting Booked
Uncategorized: sequence stops, lead appears in Master Inbox as Uncategorized
Any other category, such as Nurture: sequence stops
You do not need to:
Remove the lead from your campaign manually
Re-import your leads list with that contact excluded
Delete or pause anything
What about other contacts at the same company?
Automatically stopping a lead's sequence only applies to the individual who replied, not to other contacts at the same company domain.
If you want to automatically pause sending to all other contacts at the same company when one person replies, turn on Company-Level Auto-Pause in Campaign Setup (step 3). It stops sending to other contacts at a company after someone from that company replies. We recommend turning it on.
For more details, see What do the campaign settings mean?.
Where do replied leads go?
Leads who have replied are still visible inside your campaign and inside Master Inbox. They are simply no longer in the active sending queue. You can view and manage them by filtering Master Inbox by category.
You also get an email alert for Interested and Meeting booked replies. See How do I get notified when a lead replies?.
For more details, see How do I filter replies in Master Inbox?.
Expected outcome
Every lead who replies to your campaign is automatically removed from further sending, immediately and without any action required from you. Your Master Inbox captures every reply so you can manage responses, follow up with interested leads, and keep your outreach organized.
Frequently asked questions
Does a "Not Interested" reply stop the sequence?
Yes. Any reply, including Not Interested, immediately and automatically stops that lead from receiving further emails. No manual action is needed.
Will the lead receive emails again if I launch a new campaign?
If you import the same lead into a new campaign, they will enter that campaign's sequence unless they are on your unsubscribe or blacklist. When you import, leave the options to import leads that are unsubscribed or on the global blacklist turned off, and turn on the option to exclude leads that are already in another campaign. Replying to one campaign does not automatically exclude a contact from future campaigns.
What if I want to stop sending to an entire company after one person replies?
Turn on Company-Level Auto-Pause in Campaign Setup. It stops sending to other contacts at the same company after someone from that company replies.
Can I see which leads have replied inside my campaign?
Yes. All replied leads appear in Master Inbox, categorized by reply type. You can filter by category to see specific reply types. See How do I filter replies in Master Inbox?.
How do I stop emailing someone who hasn't replied?
In Master Inbox, find the lead (the Sent folder shows the emails you've sent) and change their category to Unsubscribed. Their sequence stops. See How can I see which leads bounced or unsubscribed, and how do I block a contact?.