Cold email agency:
we build and run your Instantly outbound system
We set up the sending infrastructure, build lists in Clay from real buying signals, write and run the sequences in Instantly, and push every reply into your CRM. This is outbound automation built on signals, and it is the same system we use to book our own calls.
Free 30-min call · No pitch, no slides
Built for a sample of 40+ named companies. See the client list.
Teams we ship for
The stack we run ourselves
We sell with the same tools we set up for you.
AY Automate books its own pipeline with Instantly, HeyReach, Attio and Unipile, glued together with n8n and Claude Code. What we build for you is what we run on our own Monday morning.
- 01Instantlycold email sending
- 02HeyReachLinkedIn outreach
- 03Attioour own CRM
- 04UnipileLinkedIn and inbox API
- 05n8nworkflows and webhooks
- 06Claude Codebuilds and maintains the glue
Cold Email Run as a System
A cold email agency sets up and runs outbound email for you: the domains and mailboxes, the lead lists, the copy, the sending, and what happens when someone replies. Most of the results come from the parts nobody sees, like deliverability, list quality and timing.
We run outbound automation on Instantly for our own pipeline, so we build yours the same way. Clay finds and verifies the right people, a buying signal decides who gets contacted and when, Instantly sends from warmed secondary domains, and n8n moves every reply into your CRM with the context attached. For one client, website visitor signals now flow straight into outbound targeting with no manual step.
Updated October 2026.
Why Most Cold Email Stops Working
Cold email still works for B2B. What stopped working is sending the same template to a bought list from your main domain.
Deliverability breaks quietly
No authentication records, mailboxes sending too much, and no warmup. Emails land in spam and the dashboard still says sent. We set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC, warm mailboxes and cap volume per inbox.
Lists without a reason to reach out
A title filter in a database gives you names, not timing. Without a signal like a job change, hiring push or site visit, even good copy reads as spam. We build lists around a reason to write now.
Replies die in the inbox
Positive replies sit unanswered for days because they never reach the CRM or the right rep. We route and tag every reply automatically, so interested prospects hear back the same day.
What Our Cold Email Agency Builds and Runs
Everything from the DNS records to the CRM handoff, set up once and run every week.
Sending Infrastructure
Secondary domains, mailboxes, SPF, DKIM and DMARC, warmup, sending limits and inbox rotation in Instantly, so your main domain is never at risk.
Signal-Based Lists in Clay
Accounts and contacts found, enriched and verified in Clay, filtered by your ICP and a live trigger such as hiring, funding, tech changes or site visits.
Sequences and Copy
Short, specific sequences where the first line names the reason for writing. We test angles in small batches and keep only what earns replies.
Reply Handling and CRM Sync
Replies classified, routed to the right owner and logged in HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio or Pipedrive with the full thread, plus a weekly report on what booked meetings.
How We Build Your Outbound System
Infrastructure first, then a small test, then volume. You approve the ICP, the signals and the copy before anything sends.
Outbound plan with the signals worth targeting
Warmed sending setup that protects your main domain
Live campaigns and a reply workflow
A system that improves every week
Why Use a Cold Email Agency That Runs Its Own Outbound?
Outbound is how we grow AY Automate. The playbook you get is the one we use ourselves, and we stay on to run it.
Comparing options before you commit? see our guide to the best cold email agencies.
Tell us who you want to reach
Share your ICP and offer. We tell you which signals to target and what the Instantly setup should look like.
Related
- LinkedIn outreach agency
Run LinkedIn and email from the same lists.
- Clay agency
Signal-based lists that feed your sequences.
- Signal-based outbound workflow
From buying signal to first line to logged reply.
Real ROI: See Our Systems in Action
Explore how we have engineered custom pipelines to save thousands of hours and eliminate costly bottlenecks for B2B leaders.
Don't take it from us
Hear it from the operators we shipped for.
Real founders. Real cameras. No scripts. Different scales, same agent stack.
Elie Salame
COO · Adstronaut.io
Elie Salame
COO · Adstronaut.io
Stop Burning Domains. Build Outbound That Lasts.
Book a call and we will review your ICP, current setup and past campaigns, then show you the outbound system we would build.
Book a 30min Free Strategy Call
In this call, we'll walk through your project scope, timeline, and goals - so we can both check if we're a fit. No obligation, no slide deck, just a working session.
Don't want a call? Email walid@ayautomate.com
“The team is super fast - sometimes we had to slow them down. We managed to scale the company without investing into hiring.”
Elie Salame
COO, Adstronaut.io
We've created products featured in
Walid Boulanouar
View LinkedInOutbound Audit
Share your ICP and offer, then pick a time on this page.
Recommended services
GTM Engineering Agency
Done-for-you signal, enrichment and outbound systems, built and run by our team.
Clay Agency
Clay enrichment tables and signals that feed your CRM and outreach.
LinkedIn Outreach Agency
HeyReach campaigns across several sender accounts, built and run.
Signal-Based Outbound Workflow
A buying signal becomes a verified contact, a first line about what just happened, and a reply logged in your CRM.
Website Visitor Outreach Workflow
Identify companies reading your site, score them against your ICP and reach out the same day.
CRM Implementation Services
Setup, migration and automation across HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Pipedrive and Attio.
Attio CRM Agency
Attio setup from a team that runs its own pipeline on it.
Hire a GTM Engineer
Prefer one engineer inside your team? Embedded placement from $60,000/year.
FAQ
Cold Email Agency Questions
What does a cold email agency do?+
A cold email agency sets up and runs outbound email for you: sending domains and mailboxes, lead lists, copy, the campaigns themselves and reply handling. We frame it as outbound automation: we build and run the Instantly and Clay system, and your team takes the conversations.
Is cold email still effective in 2026?+
Yes, for B2B, when it is targeted and timed. Generic templates to bought lists perform worse every year as inbox providers tighten filters. Short emails to the right person, triggered by a real signal and sent from a healthy setup, still start conversations.
What does Instantly.ai do?+
Instantly is a cold email platform. It connects many sending mailboxes, warms them up, rotates sending across them, runs multi-step sequences and collects replies in one inbox. We use it for our own outbound and build client systems on it.
Is Instantly.ai legal and safe to use?+
Instantly is a legitimate, widely used tool. Legality depends on how you send: in the US, CAN-SPAM requires accurate sender details, a physical address and a working opt-out. In the EU and UK, GDPR applies, which usually means a documented legitimate interest and an easy opt-out. We build those rules into every campaign.
How much does a cold email agency cost?+
Our work is a custom quote after a discovery call, because cost depends on volume, the number of segments and how much list building and reply handling we run. A single focused workflow, such as reply routing into your CRM, starts in the low four figures. Tool costs like Instantly and Clay are billed by those vendors to your accounts.
How much does Instantly cost?+
Instantly sells monthly plans based on contacts and emails sent, with lead database and CRM features as add-ons. Prices change, so check instantly.ai/pricing. We help you pick the smallest plan that fits your volume.
Will cold email hurt my company domain?+
Not if it is set up properly. We send from secondary domains with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, warm every mailbox and cap daily volume, so your main domain and its reputation stay out of it.
Do you buy lead lists?+
No. We build lists in Clay from your ICP plus a buying signal, then verify every email before it sends. Bought lists are the fastest way to hurt deliverability.
Do you write the emails?+
Yes. We write short sequences where the first line names the reason we are reaching out, test angles in small batches and keep what earns replies. You approve the copy before anything goes out.
Can you guarantee a number of meetings?+
No, and be careful with anyone who does. Meetings depend on your offer, market and sales follow-up. We report sends, replies and meetings weekly and tune the system around them.
What happens when a prospect replies?+
Each reply is classified, routed to the right owner and logged in your CRM with the full thread. Interested replies trigger a task or deal so someone answers the same day.
Can you combine cold email with LinkedIn outreach?+
Yes. We often run Instantly and HeyReach together on the same lists, so a prospect sees a connection request and an email that refer to the same signal. See our LinkedIn outreach agency page for that side.
What is outbound lead generation?+
Outbound lead generation means reaching out to people who have not contacted you yet, through cold email, LinkedIn or calls, to start sales conversations. It works best when list, timing and message are all specific to the prospect.
How do I choose a cold email agency?+
Ask who owns the domains and mailboxes, how they protect deliverability, where the lists come from, and how replies reach your team. Be wary of fixed meeting guarantees and bought data. Our guide to the best cold email agencies compares the options.