Troubleshooting sequence enrollment issues in HubSpot

If you’re having trouble enrolling contacts into a sequence in HubSpot, you’re not alone. While sequences are a great way to automate follow-ups, small setup issues can prevent them from running smoothly. Here’s a quick guide to help you troubleshoot and get things working again—fast.

1) Check Email Integration

To use sequences, your email account must be properly connected to HubSpot.

• Go to Settings > General > Email
• Make sure your inbox is connected and set as the default for sending emails
• If it’s disconnected, reconnect and try again

2) Confirm Contact Eligibility

Not every contact can be added to a sequence.

• A contact must have a valid email address
• They must not have unsubscribed or marked you as spam
• They can’t already be in another sequence

Go to the contact record and check for any alerts or restrictions.

3) Avoid Duplicate Enrolments

HubSpot won’t let you enrol someone in more than one active sequence at a time. If you’re getting an error, check if the contact is already in a sequence:

• Go to the contact record
• Click on the “Sequences” tab
• If enrolled, you’ll need to remove them before starting a new one

4) Review User Permissions

Not all users have the same access rights in HubSpot. If you can’t enroll contacts, your user permissions might need updating.

Ask your admin to ensure you have:

• Sales access
• Sequences access
• Connected inbox permissions

You can check or request updates under Settings > Users & Teams.

5) Resolve Email Sending Issues

If enrolment fails mid-sequence, the problem might be with your sending domain or email setup.

• Make sure your email domain is authenticated (SPF, DKIM setup)
• Check for any bounced emails or spam blocks
• Monitor the email health dashboard under Reports > Email Health

6) Test with a Dummy Contact

Still unsure what’s going wrong? Try enrolling a test contact (like your own email address) into the sequence to see if it works.

If it does, the issue likely lies with the specific contact or data. If it doesn’t, the sequence or settings may need editing.

When in Doubt, Get Help

If you’ve tried all the above and are still stuck, reach out to your HubSpot admin, or talk to a HubSpot Solutions Partner (like us at Project36 😉). Sometimes it just takes a fresh pair of eyes to spot the issue.

Final Thought

Sequences are powerful when they work—and easy to fix when they don’t. With a little troubleshooting, you’ll be back to automating and personalising your outreach in no time.