How The Outpost™ works

Goes looking for people who match the client you described when you set up.

Every week it searches your market and scores each person it finds out of 100 — how well they fit what you sell, and how likely they are to be looking right now. Only people scoring 60 or above reach your Prospects list; everything weaker is dropped so you are not wading through it.

Drafts a short message to each new person, written in your words.

Every message is written for that one person — not a template with a name dropped in. You read it, change anything you like, and only then does it go anywhere. Nothing is ever sent without you pressing approve.

Turns what your market is talking about into drafts that sound like you.

Each update writes 5 pieces you can post as they are or edit first, each one starting from something your market was reading in the last few weeks, with the source linked. Content is part of the Operator plan and above — see the plan comparison on the pricing page. You publish them yourself, wherever you publish; The Outpost never posts anything for you.

Reads the groups and forums you named and flags where your answer would help.

It looks for real questions rather than places to advertise, and drafts a reply you can use. You decide whether it fits and post it yourself — The Outpost never posts in a group as you.

Checks the websites of the competitors you listed and writes up what moved.

New prices, new claims, new products. When something looks significant it also drafts a suggestion for how you might respond. You need to give each competitor a website address, or there is nothing for it to check.

Will The Outpost™ email my prospects without asking me?

No. Never. Every message waits for you to read it, change it if you want, and press approve. If you never press approve, nothing is ever sent to anyone. There is no setting anywhere that turns this off — we removed the one that used to exist. The most the app will do is put the strongest messages at the top of your list so you do not have to read through all of them.

When does my weekly update run?

It starts every Sunday at 23:00 UTC: that is Sunday afternoon in North America, Sunday night in the UK and Monday morning in Asia and Australia. Your dashboard shows the time where you are. It takes a few minutes, and once it is done we email you a short summary. Between updates nothing new appears — that is normal, not a fault. On the Commander plan and above you can add a second update each week, three days later.

My dashboard is empty. Is it broken?

Almost certainly not. The Outpost works in one batch once a week, so a brand-new account looks empty until the first update has run. Your Command Brief shows a countdown to the next one. If you would rather not wait, you can start one yourself — see the next answer.

Can I run an update myself instead of waiting?

Yes. Go to Settings, open the "Emails & weekly update" tab, and press "Run my update now". It takes a few minutes. You can do this once every 6 hours. It does not replace the scheduled update — that still happens as usual.

Why do so many people have no email address?

Because most work email addresses are not published anywhere, and The Outpost will never invent or guess one. Guessed addresses bounce, and bounces damage your reputation with email providers. Where there is no address, use LinkedIn instead: press "Copy this message and mark it sent", paste it into LinkedIn, and send it yourself. If you know someone's address, add it in the Notes box on their profile.

Why can't I use my Gmail (or Outlook.com) address?

Emails you approve are sent from your own business mailbox, and mail services decide whether to trust an email by the domain it comes from. Only Google can sign email for @gmail.com, and only Microsoft for @outlook.com, so you can't add your own email protection (DKIM and DMARC) to those addresses. Free personal accounts also have low sending limits and aren't meant for business outreach. An address on your own domain (you@yourcompany.com) builds your own reputation. Getting one takes about 15 minutes of your time: once you're signed in, Settings links to a step-by-step guide. Your personal address can stay as your personal inbox.

Do I need a website?

No. A website on its own doesn't change how your email is judged: what counts is the domain in your email address. You do need a domain for your email, though. If you already have a website, its domain is usually the one to use (you@yourwebsite.com).

What are SPF, DKIM and DMARC?

Three short records you add where you manage your domain, so mail services can tell your email really comes from you. SPF lists which email services may send for your domain. DKIM is a signature your email provider adds to every email, checked against a key on your domain. DMARC tells mail services what to do with email that pretends to be from you. We only send once all three are in place, and Settings shows the exact records to add, with copy buttons.

Will The Outpost™ ever send from its own address?

No. Emails you approve go out only from your own business mailbox, exactly as if you had written them there, and they appear in your Sent folder. If no mailbox is connected, or its domain doesn't pass the checks, nothing is emailed. You can still copy any message and send it yourself, or paste it into LinkedIn.

What is the search box at the top of the dashboard?

It lets you ask a question in plain English — "who hasn't replied yet", "messages waiting for my approval" — and jumps you to the answer. Press the box, or use Command-K on a Mac or Ctrl-K on Windows. It only looks at your own account, and it never sends anything.

What are "market alerts"?

News and events in your market that might be worth acting on — a company you follow raising money, a competitor changing direction. Each one comes with a suggestion of what you could do about it. They appear under Market alerts in the sidebar and on the bell icon at the top.

Why are some messages offered in two versions?

When The Outpost is not sure which tone suits you, it writes the same message two ways — usually one more direct and one warmer — and lets you pick. It keeps track of which style gets more replies and leans that way next time. You do not have to do anything for this to work.

How do I add or remove a competitor?

Settings → Competitors. Add their name and their website address — without the address there is nothing for us to check. "Stop watching" removes them from next week's check; nothing else is deleted.

What happens when I mark someone "Not a fit"?

They come off your active list and we will not write to them again. Nothing is deleted, and you can put them back on your list from their profile at any time. It also teaches The Outpost what you do not want, so future weeks are a better match.

Can I edit a draft before approving it?

Yes — click into any draft and type. Your edited version is what gets sent, and we keep the original alongside it so you can see what changed.

How do I stop the weekly emails?

Settings → "Emails & weekly update" has one switch for the Monday summary, urgent market alerts and the daily shortlist email. Emails about people who write in through your form have their own switch, under Settings → "Inbound leads". Each of these emails also has a link at the bottom that turns off its own switch. Turning emails off does not affect your account or stop the weekly update running.