Outreach Actions API

One-off sends outside a sequence — a single email, LinkedIn connection request, InMail, message, or voice message, on demand.

Base URL: https://api.reply.io/v3
Official reference: docs.reply.io/api-reference/direct-outreach/send-a-direct-email-to-a-contact
In Reply's reference: Called “Direct Outreach”
OpenAPI: outreach-actions.openapi.yaml
Markdown twin: outreach-actions.md
Scopes: contacts:operate

What it does

The Outreach Actions API sends a single outreach touch to one contact, outside of any sequence. Six operations, all POST /v3/contacts/{id}/send-direct-*, all scoped contacts:operate:

Direct email — one-off email from a chosen mailbox (or the default account), HTML body, subject required.
LinkedIn connection request — with an optional personalized note; the contact must have a LinkedIn profile URL set.
LinkedIn InMail — for contacts you are not connected with; requires a Sales Navigator account with InMail credits.
LinkedIn message — direct message to an existing connection.
LinkedIn voice message — pre-recorded audio, uploaded first via POST /v3/attachments/voice.
AI-generated LinkedIn voice message — synthesized from a text script (max 1,000 chars) using the account’s text-to-speech settings.

Each send executes immediately through the specified email or LinkedIn account and returns a receipt: status and messageId for email, actionType plus linkedInActivityId for LinkedIn actions.

The problem it solves

Sequences are built for campaigns, not moments. When a contact replies with a question, when a champion changes jobs, when a signal fires and one precise touch is the right move — spinning up a one-step sequence, starting it, and archiving it is the wrong tool. The Outreach Actions API is the surgical alternative: one call, one contact, one message, on the channel the moment calls for. It gives an agent the same sending infrastructure a sequence uses — connected mailboxes, LinkedIn accounts, deliverability plumbing — without campaign scaffolding.

How an agent starts using it

Get an API key with the contacts:operate scope. Resolve the contact’s ID (via the Contact Data endpoints), pick the sending identity — emailAccountId for email, linkedInAccountId for any LinkedIn action — and POST to the matching /v3/contacts/{id}/send-direct-* operation. For voice messages, upload the audio first via POST /v3/attachments/voice and pass the returned voiceAttachmentId; for AI voice, pass a script instead. Handle 400 problem responses with stable code slugs (e.g. contact.contactInBlackList, contact.emailAccountNotFound) for programmatic branching.

Typical agent tasks

Send a one-off follow-up email to a contact who just replied, without touching their sequence
Fire a LinkedIn connection request the moment a contact shows a buying signal
Send a LinkedIn InMail to a prospect you are not connected with yet
Message an existing LinkedIn connection directly from the agent loop
Generate and send an AI voice message on LinkedIn from a text script

Inputs

Name	Type	Required	Description
`contactId`	integer	yes	Contact ID in the path of every operation (/v3/contacts/{id}/send-direct-*).
`subject`	string	no	Subject line — required for direct email and InMail.
`body`	string	no	Message body — HTML for direct email, plain text for InMail (max 1,900 chars).
`emailAccountId`	integer	no	Mailbox to send the direct email from. Omit to use the default email account.
`linkedInAccountId`	integer	no	Connected LinkedIn account to send from — required for all five LinkedIn operations.
`message`	string	no	Optional note on a connection request, or the body of a LinkedIn message (max 8,000 chars).
`voiceAttachmentId`	integer	no	Uploaded audio for a voice message — upload first via POST /v3/attachments/voice.
`script`	string	no	Text to synthesize for an AI-generated voice message (max 1,000 chars).

Outputs

Name	Type	Description
`status`	string	Direct email sending status (new, sent).
`messageId`	string	Message ID of the sent direct email.
`actionType`	string	LinkedIn action performed (connect, inMail, message, voice, aiVoice).
`linkedInActivityId`	integer	ID of the LinkedIn activity record created for the send.

Authentication

API key as Bearer token. Send Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY> on every request. Get an API key in the Reply.io app under Settings → API Key — authentication reference.

Rate limits

100 requests/minute and 3,000 requests/hour per user (shared across all of the user's API clients). On 429, honor the Retry-After header. LinkedIn sends execute through the connected LinkedIn account and are additionally subject to LinkedIn's own sending limits.

Example

Request — POST /v3/contacts/{contactId}/send-direct-email

curl -X POST https://api.reply.io/v3/contacts/90514382/send-direct-email \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $REPLY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "emailAccountId": 4821,
    "subject": "Re: your question about SOC 2",
    "body": "<p>Hi Dana — short answer, yes. Full report attached to our trust page.</p>"
  }'

Response — 200

{
  "status": "sent",
  "messageId": "1a2b3c4d-5e6f-7081-92a3-b4c5d6e7f809"
}

Error — 403

{
  "type": "https://docs.reply.io/api-reference/authentication",
  "title": "Forbidden",
  "status": 403,
  "detail": "This API key does not have the required scope: contacts:operate."
}

Related APIs

Modules are designed to chain — combining them is the point.

Sequence API

Create, populate, and control multichannel outreach sequences — email, LinkedIn, and calls in one campaign object.

Conversations & Inbox API

The unified inbox as an API — read threads across email and LinkedIn, classify replies with categories, detect meeting intent, and respond.

LinkedIn Accounts API

Connect LinkedIn accounts, manage daily action limits, and monitor connection status for LinkedIn outreach.

docs.reply.io ↗

Mailbox Management API

Connect and manage sending mailboxes — Gmail/Office 365 OAuth, IMAP/SMTP tests, health, tags, and sending resume.

docs.reply.io ↗

Frequently asked questions

When should an agent use this instead of a sequence?

A sequence is a campaign — multi-step, scheduled, stop-on-reply. Outreach Actions is a single touch, sent now, with no follow-up machinery. Use it for reply follow-ups, one-off intros, and opportunistic LinkedIn touches; use the Sequence API when the contact should enter a multi-step cadence.

Which mailbox or LinkedIn account does the send go out from?

Direct email sends from the mailbox in emailAccountId, or the user's default email account if omitted. Every LinkedIn operation requires linkedInAccountId pointing to an active connected LinkedIn account — InMail additionally needs a Sales Navigator subscription with InMail credits, and message/voice sends require an existing connection with the contact.

Are direct sends tracked anywhere?

Yes. A direct email returns a status and messageId; LinkedIn operations return the actionType and a linkedInActivityId for the activity record created. Replies from the contact land in the unified inbox — read them with the Conversations & Inbox API.

Start here: get an API key and make your first call, or explore workflows that combine this module with others.