The pipeline
Every lead moves through the same stages, from Sourced to Replied — here's what each one means, what your agent does there, and whether anything is needed from you.
The short version
Your agent handles everything up to the first reply: finding people, qualifying them, sending connection requests, and drafting messages. Your job starts in exactly two places — approving drafts in To Review (review mode only) and taking over the conversation once a lead is Replied. Everything else runs in the background.
All stages at a glance
| Stage | What it means | Do you need to act? |
|---|---|---|
| Sourced | The agent found this person while prospecting. Not yet evaluated. | No |
| Qualified | They match your targeting (ICP) and will be contacted. | No (spot-check if you like) |
| Not qualified | Evaluated and excluded — doesn't match your targeting. | No (dispute it if you disagree) |
| Connection sent | A LinkedIn connection request went out. | No — just wait |
| Accepted | They accepted. You're now 1st-degree connections. | No |
| Message prepared | The first message is drafted. | Yes, in review mode — approve it |
| Replied | They answered. All automated follow-ups stop immediately. | Yes — this conversation is yours |
Stage by stage
Sourced
The agent found this person in one of its prospecting passes. Being Sourced doesn't mean they'll be contacted — it just means they're in the funnel, waiting to be evaluated. Nothing is needed from you.
Qualified
The agent evaluated the person against your ICP and they passed: they'll receive a connection request when the daily allowance permits. You don't need to do anything, but it's worth a glance in the Leads tab early on. If someone clearly doesn't belong, exclude them — see Manage your leads.
Not qualified
Evaluated and excluded. These people stay visible in Leads so you can sense-check the agent's judgment. If a decision looks wrong, tell your Ninja why — it becomes a learned rule for future qualification. Note that targeting changes apply to future sourcing, not retroactively to leads already evaluated.
Connection sent
A connection request went to this person, counting against your daily allowance. Requests go out without a note — that's deliberate, not a malfunction: blank invites are accepted more often, and the real first message comes after they accept. See The cadence for why. Acceptance can take hours, days, or never happen at all — a lead sitting here for a week is normal.
Accepted
They accepted your request. The agent notices during one of its work windows and drafts the first message. No action needed — the pipeline moves on its own from here.
Message prepared
The first message is written and you can read the exact text: open the lead in the Leads tab, or filter by Message prepared to see everything waiting.
- Review mode: the draft sits in To Review until you approve or edit it. This is the one stage that waits on you — nothing sends until you act. See Review and approve messages.
- Auto mode: the message is queued and sends in an upcoming work window. Nothing needed from you.
Not sure which mode you're in? See Autonomy and approvals.
Replied
The lead answered one of your messages. All automated follow-ups to this person stop immediately — always, in both modes, no exceptions. From here the conversation is yours: the agent will never answer a reply on its own. Respond promptly while the lead is warm — see Handle replies.
One thing to remember
Leads advance when your agent works, and it works in scheduled batches — not continuously. A lead sitting at the same stage for a few hours isn't stuck; it's between windows. See A day in your agent's life.