Get the skill file
The full instantly-campaign-launcher skill file. Drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ and run it from any Claude Code session.
Most cold email operators spend 2+ hours setting up a single Instantly campaign. Defining the ICP. Writing the sequence. Formatting the lead list. Configuring the campaign. Pushing everything live.
Each step is manual. Each step is a point of friction where things break, get skipped, or get done inconsistently.
This skill collapses the entire process into a single Claude session. You answer 8 questions. Claude builds the campaign and fires it live via Instantly's API.
Section 01What this skill does
OperationRun a structured 4-stage workflow that takes you from zero context to a live Instantly campaign in one session.
The Instantly Campaign Launcher is a Claude skill file built for cold outbound operators. Here is exactly what it does at each stage:
Stage 1: ICP Definition. Claude asks 8 targeted questions about your offer, buyer, pain points, proof, and campaign goal. It surfaces your ICP profile, identifies intent signals to target, and defines the positioning angle before writing a single word of copy.
Stage 2: Email sequence copywriting. Claude writes a full 3-email sequence based on your answers. Initial outreach, follow-up, and final touch — each under 80 words, pain-first, with a micro-commitment CTA. You review and approve every email before anything moves forward. Claude rewrites as many times as needed.
Stage 3: Lead CSV preparation. Claude validates your lead list against Instantly's required format. It checks for missing columns, duplicate emails, and formatting issues, then outputs a clean CSV ready for upload. If you don't have a list yet, it generates a sample in the exact format Instantly expects.
Stage 4: Campaign creation and launch. Claude connects to Instantly's API v2, creates the campaign, pushes the sequence, uploads the leads, configures the send schedule and settings, and activates the campaign. Every API call is visible before it executes. Nothing goes live without your explicit confirmation.
Section 02The rule: show the work, get approval, proceed
OperationEvery stage runs against the same loop — Claude shows the build, you approve, then it executes.
Claude never pushes anything to Instantly without a human-in-the-loop checkpoint. At each stage you see exactly what is being built, review it, and confirm before the next step runs.
This is not a black box. It is a transparent build process where you stay in control of every decision while Claude handles the execution. The skill is opinionated about workflow but unopinionated about your business — your ICP, your pain framing, your CTA shape, your sending config.
Section 03Stage 1 — ICP definition
OperationDefine the buyer, the pain, the proof, and the angle before any copy is written.
When you run the skill, Claude opens with this:
It then asks 8 questions in one shot:
- What is your offer?
- Who is your ideal buyer?
- What is the primary pain point you solve?
- What specific outcome do you deliver?
- What objections do you hear most on calls?
- Do you have proof points or client results to use?
- What is the campaign goal?
- What alternatives or competitors are they currently using?
After you answer, Claude shows its thinking. It surfaces your ICP profile, identifies 3 to 5 intent signals that indicate a prospect is in-market right now, and defines one positioning angle the sequence will be built around. You confirm or adjust before anything is written.
Section 04Stage 2 — Email sequence copywriting
OperationGenerate a full 3-email sequence locked to the approved ICP profile, with a hard rewrite loop until you sign off.
Claude writes all three emails based on the approved ICP profile.
Email 1: Initial outreach. Pain-first opening. No feature dump. One soft CTA that asks for the next smallest possible step. Under 80 words.
Email 2: Follow-up (Day 3-4). Shorter than the first. Adds a proof point or reframes the pain from a different angle. Ends with a direct question.
Email 3: Final follow-up (Day 7-8). Shortest of the three. Pattern interrupt subject line. Breakup framing or a final value drop. Clean close.
Before moving to leads, Claude presents all three emails and asks:
- Does the pain framing match how your buyers actually describe it?
- Is the proof point accurate?
- Does the CTA match your campaign goal?
You type APPROVED to move forward, or give edits and Claude rewrites. This loop runs as many times as needed. Claude does not touch your leads until the sequence is locked.
Section 05Stage 3 — Lead CSV preparation
OperationReformat any lead list to Instantly's exact API spec, or generate a fresh template if you don't have one yet.
Instantly's API requires leads in a specific format. A misformatted CSV will break the upload. Claude handles this automatically.
email, first_name, last_name, company_name, website (optional but improves personalization), and custom_variables for any merge tags in your copy.If you have a list: Paste your data or describe the columns you have. Claude reformats it to Instantly's spec, checks for duplicate emails, missing fields, and invalid formats, and outputs a clean CSV in a code block ready to copy.
If you don't have a list yet: Claude generates a 5-row sample CSV with realistic placeholder data matching your ICP. Use it as the template for your real leads, then paste them back when ready.
Nothing moves to campaign creation until the list is validated and approved.
Section 06Stage 4 — Campaign creation and launch
OperationCreate the campaign, push the sequence, upload leads, configure schedule, and activate — all via Instantly API v2 with confirmation gates.
Before executing anything, Claude presents the full campaign configuration for your review:
- Campaign name
- Sending accounts
- Daily send limit
- Send window (days and hours)
- Timezone
- Sequence schedule (Email 1 / Day 1, Email 2 / Day 3-4, Email 3 / Day 7-8)
- Stop on reply: ON
- Open and click tracking: ON
When you type LAUNCH, Claude executes each step visibly:
When it finishes, Claude outputs a campaign summary with the campaign ID, lead count, sequence structure, and status. It also gives you three next steps to run in the first 48 hours.
Section 07The first 72 hours after launch
OperationThree checks at three time horizons. Catch deliverability, copy, and list issues before they burn your domain.
24 hours. Confirm emails are hitting inbox, not spam. Send one test from your sending account if you are unsure. Check the rendered email — formatting issues kill replies more than copy issues.
48 hours. Check reply rate. If it is under 1%, review subject lines first. If open rates are low, deliverability is the issue. If opens are high but replies are low, the copy or CTA is the problem.
72 hours. Check bounce rate. If it is above 3%, pause the campaign and scrub the list before continuing. A high bounce rate compounds fast — every additional send beyond 3% is risk to your domain.
Section 08What makes a cold email offer actually work
OperationThe skill writes the sequence. The sequence only works if the offer is right.
Cold email operates on one equation:
Strength of offer = Value × Likelihood of Achievement ÷ Time and Effort Required
You cannot ask for high time and effort from someone who does not know you exist yet. The first email is not the place to sell the full engagement. It is the place to sell the next smallest possible step.
The anatomy of a cold email offer that converts:
Value proposition. What specific outcome do you create for a specific person in a specific situation? The more specific, the more it lands.
Proof. Cold email is a brutally cold audience. One line of real proof changes the read entirely. A result, a name, a number. Anything verifiable.
Risk reversal. Lower the cost of saying yes. A micro-commitment CTA asks for something easy. A clip. A sample. A short look. Not an hour-long call.
Call to action. One ask. Specific. Easy to answer yes or no. "Want me to send over three examples?" Not "let's jump on a call to explore synergies."
The skill is built around this framework. Every sequence it writes follows this structure by default.
ClosingRun this on your next campaign
The shift this skill creates is not just time saved. The consistency and quality of every campaign goes up because the process is the same every time, Claude holds the structure, and nothing ships without your review. A campaign that used to take a full afternoon now takes the time it takes to answer 8 questions.
Want this mapped to your offer?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call. We'll audit your current outbound and show you exactly which two prompts will move your reply rate the fastest — including the LSN sourcing, Findymail enrichment, and Instantly orchestration we run for our own clients.
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