What is Apollo.io?
Quick answer
Apollo.io is a sales platform that combines a large B2B contact database with outreach tools. You search for people by filters such as job title and location, get verified emails and phone numbers, and enroll them in sequences: multi-step outreach across email and calls. Apollo calls itself "The AI GTM System for Go-to-Market Teams".
Last updated
Take the free module →Module 10 of the free AI Agents 101 course, about 15 minutes. No account needed.
Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters for a small business
Outbound sales usually means three separate jobs: finding the right people, finding their contact details and following up until they answer. Apollo puts all three in one place. Its site cites 240M+ contacts and 30M+ companies, search with "65+ filters" including job changes, funding rounds and buying intent, and sequences that run email and call steps on a schedule, with a built-in deliverability suite.
Apollo's pricing page lists a free plan "for exploring Apollo or very light usage" with no time limit. Email campaigns are included on every account, and free plans can connect Gmail mailboxes. Searching and revealing contact details uses credits that reset each billing cycle. Apollo also has an AI Assistant that drafts sequence steps and copy.
In a real lesson: Speed-to-Lead Agent: Answer Every Web Lead in 60 Seconds
Apollo finds people to reach out to. The other half of the job is answering the people who reach out to you, fast. In the Speed-to-Lead Agent lesson you play Maya at Ledgerwell Bookkeeping, a made-up firm, and build an n8n workflow that answers every web lead in about a minute.
The website form sends each lead to a Webhook. An Information Extractor with an OpenAI Chat Model scores the lead as hot, warm or cold and writes a short reply. A Gmail Send a message step sends that reply, with Append n8n Attribution turned off. An If step checks for a score of 8 or more and posts hot leads to a Slack channel. You test with Execute workflow, then Publish and point the form at the Production URL.
Try this lesson free or read the step-by-step guide.
Common confusions
Apollo vs a CRM
A CRM stores the people you already know and your deals with them. Apollo's strength is finding new people and contacting them. Apollo connects to CRMs and lists 200+ integrations.
Sequence vs cold email
A cold email is one message to someone you have not met. A sequence is a planned series of emails and calls that stops when the person replies.
Tips
- Write down your ideal customer profile before you search, then turn it into filters.
- Start with a small list and read every result before you enroll anyone.
- Keep sequences short and personal, and watch your email deliverability.
- Have a fast reply ready for the leads who answer, so outbound work turns into meetings.
Related terms
More Business terms
Where you use it: free lessons
- Speed-to-Lead Agent: Answer Every Web Lead in 60 Seconds (n8n, 15 min)
- Never Lose a Client Follow-up using Capsule CRM (Capsule CRM, 18 min)
- Kylon AI Sales Agent: Find the Reason to Reach Out (Kylon, 8 min)
AI tools that use it
Frequently asked questions
- Is Apollo.io free?
- Yes. Apollo has a free plan with no time limit, aimed at exploring Apollo or light usage. Email campaigns are included and free plans connect Gmail. See apollo.io/pricing for plans and credits.
- What is a sequence in Apollo?
- A sequence is a set of outreach steps across email and calls that Apollo runs on a schedule for each person you enroll.
- Where does Apollo's contact data come from?
- Apollo describes its own database of 240M+ contacts and 30M+ companies with verified emails and phone numbers, plus waterfall enrichment to fill gaps.