Add a gift link to Apollo sequence steps

The template

Apollo's dynamic variables are {{contact.email}} and {{contact.first_name}}. Paste this link into your sequence step, with your-link replaced by your own link (the dialog below writes it for you):

https://www.giasgiraffes.com/l/your-link?e={{contact.email}}&n={{contact.first_name}}&c=Q4%20outbound

• e fills in the prospect's email. They still confirm it with a 6-digit code before they claim.
• n greets them by first name.
• c is your campaign tag. Only you see it. Spaces are written as %20.

A short email step to start from, ready to paste:

Hi {{contact.first_name}},

Thanks for taking a look at what we do. As a thank-you for your time,
pick a gift on us from small independent brands. You choose what arrives.

Pick your gift: <your link from above>

<your name>

What you need

• A Gia's Giraffes account (Free or Pro) with one active GG Link. To make one, open GG Links → New GG Link, then set the budget, the headline and how many people can claim.
• A Apollo account where you can edit sequence steps.

Copy the link in Gia's Giraffes

1. Open GG Links and find your active link.
2. Click Copy link with merge fields.
3. Under Tool, pick Apollo.
4. Type a Campaign tag, for example "Q4 outbound". It defaults to the link's name.
5. Click Copy link.

Paste it into Apollo

1. In Apollo, open the sequence and pick the email step.
2. Write the email, or paste the template above.
3. Select the words to link, click Insert link and paste the link.

Preview the step for one contact. The link must show a real email and first name. Apollo fills both variables for each contact when the step sends.

See who claimed, by campaign

Every claim lands on the link's card in GG Links, tagged with the campaign you typed:

• The card reads, for example, "12 claims · 3 campaigns". Open it for the count per campaign; claims without a tag are listed as "No campaign".
• See who claimed shows each claimant with a Campaign column and a campaign filter.
• On Pro, the leads CSV has the same Campaign column.

The tag is only for you. Your prospect never sees it.

Automate it with Zapier (Pro)

With a Pro API key, the Gia's Giraffes Zapier app can do two more things. The app is in private beta: ask us for the invite.

A link per contact in a custom field. Trigger: Apollo → New Contact, or the contact-added-to-sequence trigger if your plan has it. Action: Gia's Giraffes → Personalize GG Link for a Contact. Action: Apollo → Update Contact, putting the Personalized URL in a custom field such as gg_link. The step then links to {{contact.gg_link}}.

A claim becomes a task. Trigger: Gia's Giraffes → GG Link Claimed. Action: Apollo → Create Task on the contact found by Recipient Email, for example "Claimed a gift from {{link_name}}: follow up today." You can also move the contact to a warm sequence, or out of the cold one.

Free and Pro

• Free: one active GG Link with up to 5 claims. You can still put that one link in a sequence to any number of prospects, personalized for each.
• Pro: unlimited GG Links with up to 500 claims each, the leads CSV, the API and the Zapier app. $19.99 per user per month, with a 14-day free trial.

On either plan you pay only for gifts that are accepted, and the recipient never sees a price.

FAQ

Does a prospect need an account to claim a gift from my Apollo email?

No. They open the link, pick a gift, confirm their email with a 6-digit code and enter a shipping address. They never see a price.

What happens if the merge fields don't fill in?

The link still works. An unfilled variable is ignored, so the prospect sees the plain claim page and types their own name and email. Send yourself a test to catch it before the sequence goes out.

Can a prospect change the email in the link?

Yes. The email in the link is only a prefill. Whoever claims confirms the address they type with a code, and your link's rules (one gift per email or company, the claim cap) still apply.

Does putting the link in a sequence count as sending gifts?

No. Personalizing a link creates nothing and costs nothing. A claim counts toward the link's cap, and you're charged only when a gift is accepted.

Can I use a different link per segment?

Yes. Make one GG Link per segment (Pro), or keep one link and use a different campaign tag in each sequence.