## Overview

Follow-ups do not live in isolation: they connect **natively** to the rest of the platform. A cadence
can be **enrolled, paused, resumed, skipped or canceled** by an **Automation** rule, by a **Macro** an
agent runs in a conversation, or by a **Flow Builder** node. As the cadence advances, the platform
**emits events** that trigger other automations and are delivered to your integration **webhooks**.
And, when the **Maestro** is active, it can read and operate follow-ups through dedicated **tools**.

In short: a follow-up is at once an **action** (something other rules execute) and a **source of
events** (something other rules and systems react to).

## Prerequisites

- The Follow-ups module available on the account (the `follow_ups` capability enabled).
- To enroll/operate via automation, macro or flow: the **Automation/Flow** module available.
- To notify external systems: a **webhook endpoint** configured on the account, already subscribing to
  the desired events.
- For the AI tools: the **Maestro** active on the account.

## Step by step

1. Create an **automation rule** (or edit an existing one).
2. Set the rule's **trigger event** (for example, a charge that became overdue or a deal that stalled).
3. Under **actions**, choose **Enroll in follow-up** (`enroll_in_follow_up`) and select the sequence.
4. Optionally, add **conditions** on `follow_up_status` to act only on contacts who already are (or are
   not yet) in a cadence.
5. Save and activate the rule. From then on, each time the event occurs, the action runs automatically.

## Settings & options

### The five follow-up actions (automation, macro and flow)

The same five actions are available in **Automation**, **Macros** and the **Flow Builder**, and they
execute identically in all three places:

| Action | What it does |
|--------|--------------|
| `enroll_in_follow_up` | Enrolls the target (contact/conversation) in a sequence. |
| `cancel_follow_up` | Cancels the active enrollment. |
| `pause_follow_up` | Pauses the enrollment (no further steps are sent). |
| `resume_follow_up` | Resumes a paused enrollment. |
| `skip_follow_up_step` | Skips the current step and moves to the next. |

> These actions are **added** to the action set the automation already had — no existing rule is
> affected by them.

### The three condition fields

In a rule triggered by a follow-up event, you can condition on these fields:

| Field | What it is for |
|-------|----------------|
| `follow_up_status` | The enrollment state (active, paused, completed, exited, failed). |
| `follow_up_sequence_id` | The specific sequence the contact is enrolled in. |
| `follow_up_enrolled_via` | How the contact was enrolled (manual, automation, event, inactivity, AI, API). |

### Events and webhooks

As the cadence runs, the platform emits events that serve both to **trigger automations** and to
**feed** the account's **webhooks**:

| Event | When it fires |
|-------|---------------|
| `follow_up_enrollment.created` | An enrollment was created. |
| `follow_up_enrollment.paused` | The enrollment was paused. |
| `follow_up_enrollment.resumed` | The enrollment was resumed. |
| `follow_up_enrollment.exited` | The enrollment exited on an exit rule (e.g., the contact replied). |
| `follow_up_enrollment.completed` | The enrollment reached the end of the sequence. |
| `follow_up_enrollment.failed` | The enrollment failed. |
| `follow_up_step.sent` | A step was sent. |
| `follow_up_step.replied` | The contact replied to a step. |
| `follow_up_step.skipped` | A step was skipped. |
| `follow_up_step.failed` | A step failed to send. |

The **payloads** of these webhooks carry the **minimum personal data** (account, enrollment, sequence
and step identifiers, plus the state) — they are meant to sync dashboards and systems, not to carry the
message content. When an AI step is awaiting human approval, there is also an internal pending-draft
notification.

### Maestro follow-up tools

With the Maestro active, the assistant can **read and operate** follow-ups through dedicated tools,
always with a user token and respecting the enabled capability and permissions:

- **List** sequences and enrollments.
- **Enroll** a contact in a sequence.
- **Pause** and **resume** an enrollment.
- **Skip** the current step.
- **Approve** an AI draft (HITL).
- **Cancel** an enrollment.

## Use cases

- **Deal won in the CRM** → an automation runs `cancel_follow_up` to end any active cadence for that
  contact (no one wants to be dunned after closing).
- **Overdue charge** → an automation runs `enroll_in_follow_up` into the "Dunning" sequence.
- **Integrator dashboards** → an external system subscribes to `follow_up_enrollment.*` and
  `follow_up_step.*` via webhook and builds its own near-real-time reports.

## Tips, limits & best practices

- Pair follow-up actions with the right event: `cancel_follow_up` on conversion events, and
  `enroll_in_follow_up` on risk events (overdue charge, stalled deal, no-show booking).
- Use `follow_up_status` as a condition to avoid enrolling twice or acting on contacts who already exited.
- Treat webhooks as **state-only**: the message content does not come in the payload.
- The same action runs identically in automation, macro and flow — choose the entry point by the
  journey, not by capability.

## Troubleshooting

- **The action did not fire**: confirm the rule is **active**, that the **trigger event** actually
  occurred, and that the **conditions** (including `follow_up_status`) match; also check that the
  follow-ups capability is enabled on the account.
- **The webhook did not arrive**: check that the **endpoint** is configured and reachable, and that the
  follow-up **events** are actually **subscribed** on that webhook.
- **A Maestro tool was denied**: verify the capability is enabled, the user token is valid, and the user
  has **permission** to operate follow-ups.

## See also

- [Enrollment: manual, automation, event and inactivity](/hc/ajuda/articles/follow-ups-inscricao-en)
- [Cadence funnel and exit rules](/hc/ajuda/articles/follow-ups-funil-e-saida-en)
- [Follow-ups and cadences overview](/hc/ajuda/articles/follow-ups-overview-en)