Context

When reviewing the "Breakdown by Step" view of a sequence, you may notice that a later step (e.g., Step 3) shows a higher number of messages sent and leads reached than Step 1. This can seem counterintuitive, as you might expect Step 1 to always have the highest count.

Answer

This behavior is expected and not a bug. It typically occurs when a sequence has been active for a long time and the selected date range is smaller than the sequence's life.

E.g. selected date range = 30 days vs sequence's life = 1 year.

If the sequence has been running for a long time, most leads have already passed through Step 1. Fewer new leads are entering at Step 1, while leads added earlier continue progressing through later steps.

To verify the correct totals, try the following: in the sequence overview, set the date range filter to a longer period (e.g., one full year, or even better since the creation date of the sequence) to see the complete picture across all steps.

Please note that leads entering the sequence after it's activation, still start from step 1. Leads cannot enter a sequence at any step other than Step 1.

For more context on how sequences and lists work together, refer to the following resources:

• Understanding the Sequences page

• How Lists and Sequences interact

• How does list monitoring work?