> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.intellixent.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Creating a Campaign
> A step-by-step guide to setting up an automated calling campaign from scratch.
Follow these steps to create and launch an outbound calling campaign using your AI assistant.
## Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
* An **AI assistant** configured for outbound calls
* A **phone number** assigned to that assistant
* Sufficient **account balance** for call costs
* Your **leads** ready to import or add manually
## Step 1: Basic information
Navigate to **Campaigns** in your dashboard and click **Create New Campaign**.
Enter a **campaign name** that makes it easy to identify later — for example, "March Promo" or "Q1 Payment Reminders".
Then select the **AI assistant** that will make the calls. The assistant's voice, prompt, and tools apply to every call in this campaign.
If you need different scripts or behaviors for different audiences, create separate assistants and separate campaigns for each.
## Step 2: Scheduling
Define when the campaign is allowed to place calls.
### Calling hours
Set a **start time** and **end time** for the window in which calls can be made. The default is 00:00–23:59 (unrestricted), but most campaigns should be restricted to business hours.
The campaign uses your assistant's configured **timezone**.
### Allowed days
Choose which days of the week the campaign can call. Options include:
* **All days** (default)
* **Business days only** — Monday through Friday
* **Custom** — select specific days
For business-to-business or professional outreach, use Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM in the prospect's local timezone.
## Step 3: Retry settings
Configure how the campaign handles unanswered calls.
### Basic retry options
* **Max retries** — how many times to attempt each lead if they don't pick up (1–5 attempts, default: 3)
* **Retry interval** — how long to wait between attempts (10–4320 minutes, default: 60 minutes)
### Advanced retry conditions
When **enabled**, the campaign continues calling a lead until a human answers — voicemail doesn't count as a successful contact.
When **disabled**, reaching voicemail is counted as an attempted contact and the lead moves through the normal retry flow.
When **enabled**, the campaign keeps calling a lead until a specific outcome is recorded.
You define the goal by selecting a **boolean post-call variable** from your assistant's post-call schema. When that variable is `true`, the lead is marked complete and no further calls are made.
Common use cases: sales conversion, appointment booking, lead qualification.
Goal-based retry requires your assistant to have post-call variables configured with at least one boolean (true/false) field. Set this up in your assistant's post-call actions before enabling this option.
## Step 4: Add leads
Add the contacts you want the campaign to call.
### Import options
Add individual leads one at a time. Enter the phone number, name, and any additional fields you want the assistant to have access to during the call.
Upload a spreadsheet with your lead data.
* **Required column:** phone number
* **Optional columns:** name, email, and any custom fields
Make sure phone numbers are formatted consistently and valid for the regions you're calling.
Pull leads directly from connected platforms such as GoHighLevel, Google Sheets, or other CRM integrations. Changes in the source can sync automatically depending on your integration settings.
### Secondary contacts
For each lead, you can add secondary phone numbers — for example, a mobile and an office line. The campaign tracks each contact independently and will attempt all numbers for a given lead.
## Step 5: Launch
### Pre-launch checklist
Before starting the campaign, confirm:
* [ ] The assistant has a phone number configured
* [ ] Account balance is sufficient
* [ ] Leads have been added with valid phone numbers
* [ ] Calling hours and days are set appropriately
* [ ] Retry settings match your campaign goals
### Starting the campaign
1. Review your settings one final time
2. Click **Start Campaign**
3. The campaign begins placing calls automatically within your scheduled window
Campaigns can take 10–15 minutes to initialize after you click Start. If no calls appear immediately, wait a few minutes before investigating.
## Managing an active campaign
### Pausing
You can pause a campaign at any time. The current call completes before the campaign stops — no calls are cut off mid-conversation. You can resume the campaign later without losing any progress or lead data.
### Modifying settings
To change campaign settings after launch:
Wait for the current call to finish.
Update scheduling, retry logic, or any other settings.
Confirm the updates.
Click **Resume** to continue calling with the new settings.
### Adding more leads
You can add leads to a campaign that's already running. New leads join the calling queue immediately and follow the same retry logic as the original list. You can add them manually, via CSV import, or through an integration.
## Best practices
* **Use business hours.** Calling outside 9 AM–6 PM dramatically increases voicemail rates and can damage brand perception.
* **Start with 2–3 retries.** This is enough for most campaigns. Increase only if your audience is hard to reach.
* **Clean your lead list.** Remove duplicates, invalid numbers, and anyone who has opted out before importing.
* **Follow local regulations.** Automated calling is regulated in many regions. Ensure your campaigns comply with applicable laws and honor opt-out requests promptly.