> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.autocalls.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a Campaign

> Step-by-step guide to setting up your first automated calling campaign

Create and configure automated calling campaigns to efficiently reach multiple leads with your AI assistant.

## Prerequisites

Before creating a campaign, ensure you have:

* **AI assistant** configured for outbound calls
* **Phone number** assigned to your assistant
* **Account balance** sufficient for call costs
* **Leads ready** to import or add manually

## Campaign Setup

### 1. Basic Information

**Campaign Name:** Choose a descriptive name for easy identification
**Assistant Selection:** Select which AI assistant will make the calls

<Note>
  The assistant's configuration (voice, prompt, tools) will be used for all campaign calls.
</Note>

### 2. Scheduling Configuration

#### Allowed Calling Hours

Set when your campaign can make calls:

* **Start time:** Earliest time to begin calling (default: 00:00)
* **End time:** Latest time to stop calling (default: 23:59)
* **Timezone:** Uses assistant's configured timezone

#### Allowed Days

Select which days of the week to make calls:

* **Default:** Monday through Sunday
* **Business only:** Monday through Friday
* **Custom:** Choose specific days

<Tip>
  **Recommendation:** For business calls, use Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM in the prospect's timezone.
</Tip>

### 3. Retry Settings

#### Basic Retry Options

* **Max retries:** 1-5 attempts for unanswered calls (default: 3)
* **Retry interval:** 10-4320 minutes between attempts (default: 60 minutes)

#### Advanced Retry Conditions

**Retry on Voicemail:**

* **Enabled:** Continue calling until human answers
* **Disabled:** Count voicemail as attempted contact

**Retry Until Goal Completed:**

* **Enabled:** Keep calling until objective is achieved
* **Goal variable:** Select boolean variable from assistant's post-call schema
* **Use case:** Sales calls, appointment booking, lead qualification

<Warning>
  **Goal-based retry** requires your assistant to have post-call variables configured with boolean fields (true/false).
</Warning>

### 4. Lead Management

#### Adding Leads

**Manual Entry:**

* Add individual leads with phone numbers
* Include names and additional contact information

**CSV Import:**

* Upload spreadsheet with lead information
* Required: Phone number column
* Optional: Name, email, additional fields

**Integration Import:**

* Import from GoHighLevel, Google Sheets, or other connected platforms
* Automatic sync with external lead sources

#### Secondary Contacts

Add additional phone numbers for the same lead:

* **Use case:** Multiple decision-makers, backup contacts
* **Logic:** Campaign will try all numbers for each lead
* **Status:** Independent tracking for each contact

## Starting Your Campaign

### Pre-launch Checklist

* [ ] Assistant has phone number configured
* [ ] Sufficient account balance
* [ ] Leads added with valid phone numbers
* [ ] Schedule configured appropriately
* [ ] Retry logic matches campaign goals

### Launch Process

1. **Review settings** one final time
2. **Click "Start Campaign"** to begin
3. **Monitor progress** in campaign dashboard
4. **Adjust settings** if needed (pause campaign first)

## Campaign Monitoring

### Real-time Status

* **Calls in progress:** Currently active calls
* **Calls completed:** Finished calls with outcomes
* **Leads remaining:** Contacts still to be called
* **Next call time:** When next call will be made

### Monitoring Progress

Track lead status and call results in the campaign dashboard. See [Campaign Overview](/campaigns/index#campaign-monitoring) for detailed status explanations.

## Managing Active Campaigns

### Pausing a Campaign

* **Immediate stop:** Current call completes, no new calls start
* **Resume capability:** Can restart without losing progress
* **Use cases:** Adjust settings, review results, temporary pause

### Modifying Settings

1. **Pause the campaign** first
2. **Edit configuration** as needed
3. **Save changes**
4. **Resume campaign** to continue with new settings

### Adding More Leads

* **Add to active campaign:** New leads join existing retry queue
* **Import additional contacts:** CSV or integration import
* **Secondary contacts:** Add backup numbers for existing leads

## Best Practices

* **Conservative scheduling:** Business hours, respect time zones
* **Start with 2-3 retries:** Monitor and adjust based on feedback
* **Clean lead data:** Valid numbers, remove duplicates
* **Compliance:** Follow local regulations and opt-out requests

<Note>
  For troubleshooting common issues, see [Campaign Troubleshooting](/troubleshooting/campaigns).
</Note>