Setting Up an Amplify Outreach Automation

This article explains how to create and configure an automation for use with Amplify Outreach. By enabling the Allow in Amplify setting in Bullhorn Automation, you can build dynamic outreach campaigns that personalize messaging for each individual contact or candidate, without creating separate lists or manual workflows.

Building the Automation

To get started, create a Contact- or Candidate-based automation and enable the Allow in Amplify setting.

Add all Amplify automations to a dedicated group for easy access and management.

Key Configuration Steps

Do Not Make an Enrollment List

When you enable Allow in Amplify, Bullhorn automatically replaces any existing enrollment lists with a dedicated Amplify Outreach list.

Selecting Allow in Amplify will:

  • Clear all existing lists.

  • Replace them with a dedicated Amplify Outreach list.

  • Lock automation enrollment to that list.

This list updates automatically as users add contacts or candidates to the automation from Bullhorn ATS, so you don’t need to manage it manually.

Use a Suppression List

Use a suppression list to automatically remove people from the campaign when they meet certain criteria, or who would be unsuitable for inclusion for other business reasons. This ensures messages aren’t sent to contacts who should be excluded, based on your organization’s processes or compliance needs.

Common suppression triggers include:

  • The person’s status changes to a specific value.

  • They opt out of receiving messages.

  • A specific type of note is added to their record.

    • If your system saves incoming emails as notes, you can also use this method to remove someone from the campaign when they respond to a message.

Set Re-Entry Rules

Adjust re-entry settings if you want people to go through the automation more than once. For example, you might allow re-entry after a set time period or when certain conditions change.

Adding Steps

The steps you add will depend on your use case and workflows. Some steps can be configured for each record through the ATS, while others can’t be customized individually but will still run as part of the automation.

Configurable Steps

These steps can be reviewed and edited each time the automation is launched for a specific record:

  • Send Email (Plain text only. See guidance below.)

  • Send Text

  • Add Task

  • Add Wait (see tips below on pacing communications)

Incompatible Steps

These steps aren’t supported with Amplify Outreach:

  • Email steps that use the Drag-and-Drop Email Builder

  • Branch Steps

Non-configurable Steps

All other step types not listed above can still be added to an Amplify Outreach automation. They’ll function as expected but can’t be customized per contact or candidate, and cannot be previewed within the ATS.

For example, if you add an Engagement step, it behaves the same for everyone in the automation. You can’t modify it for individual recipients through the ATS.

For Amplify Outreach automations, include only steps that can be viewed and configured within the ATS (Send Email, Send Text, Add Wait, Add Task). This ensures all communications can be reviewed and approved before they’re sent.

Using Wait Steps

Use Wait steps to pace your communications and create a natural outreach rhythm.

Recommended Timing

  • Add a same-day or one-business-day gap after the first message to maintain momentum.

  • Use a two- to three-day gap between later messages to stay visible without overwhelming recipients.

  • Vary communication channels (e.g., LinkedIn → Email → SMS/Phone) to boost engagement.

  • Keep the overall automation length between 2–3 weeks to balance persistence and interest.

  • Avoid scheduling messages closer than one business day apart, or more than five days apart, unless your audience behavior supports it.

Writing Messages for Amplify Outreach

As with other types of Automations, you can configure content using merge tags, for example, greeting the recipient by their first name (%FIRSTNAME%).

What sets Amplify Outreach apart is its ability to include hyper-personalized content based on the individual’s record in your ATS. In the Send Email and Send Text steps, you can add LLMClosed An LLM, or Large Language Model, is a deep learning model that has been pre-trained on vast amounts of data and is used to power generative AI. instructions to generate tailored messaging for each recipient.

For the best results, use a mix of standardized content (such as merge-tag personalization) and an enhanced section that incorporates LLM-generated details. This approach combines consistency with meaningful personalization at scale.

Only Send Email and Send Text steps support LLM instructions. Other Outreach-supported steps, such as Add Task, support only standardized content.

Before launching the automation, users should preview the generated messages and make any necessary edits to ensure accuracy and tone.

Message Ownership

Messages sent through an Amplify Outreach automation always come from the user who initiates the campaign for a candidate or contact — that is, the person who enrolls them.

This ensures each message reflects the correct sender and helps maintain a consistent, personalized candidate experience.

Outreach Messaging Best Practices

Follow these best practices to help your messages land smoothly and make the most of the AI’s capabilities:

  • Plain Text Only

    Emails must use plain text. Amplify Outreach does not support templates created with the drag-and-drop email builder.

  • Instruct the LLM

    Include curly brackets { } to tell the LLM how to personalize each message. Example:

    {LLM: insert a custom pitch highlighting why our expertise in healthcare staffing makes us an ideal partner for %COMPANYNAME%.}

  • Use Merge Tags

    You can use merge tags in any sections of standard content, but you can also include them within the LLM instructions to include dynamic fields like names, company details, or job titles (as per example above).

Activating the Automation

When your automation is ready, click Turn On Automation to activate it.

If the automation has the Allow in Amplify setting enabled, it will automatically appear in the ATS, allowing users to enroll candidates and contacts.

Enrolling Candidates or Contacts

Once the automation is active, users can start enrolling candidates or contacts directly from the ATS.

For detailed steps, see Initiating an Amplify Outreach Campaign.