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Architecture-Proposal-Best-of-Breed

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Architecture Proposal: The “Best-of-Breed” Stack

APPROVED & CONFIRMED - 2026-01-24

This architecture has been selected. Instantly.ai setup planned for weekend of Jan 25-26, 2026. Target campaign launch: Monday/Tuesday Jan 27-28, 2026.

Context

Response to limitations in Loxo’s native campaign tools (mandatory tracking pixels, lack of automation). Confirmed Solution: Decouple “Database” from “Outreach Engine” using n8n + Instantly.ai MCP server.

2026-02-01 Decision

All automation triggers now leverage the standard Global Status field, replacing the custom “Hierarchy 23” field.

🚫 The Problem with Loxo Native

While Loxo is an excellent ATS/CRM, its marketing features have critical limitations for high-volume cold outreach:

  1. Mandatory Tracking Pixels: Hurts deliverability (Gmail/Outlook flag these).
  2. Rigid Automation: Cannot auto-update statuses based on replies/clicks.
  3. Sender Limits: Tied to user seats, making it hard to rotate domains/inboxes for scale.

🚀 The Proposed Solution: Loxo + Instantly.ai + n8n

We treat Loxo as the Source of Truth (Database) and Instantly.ai as the Outreach Engine (Action). n8n acts as the bridge.

Why Instantly.ai?

  • Unlimited Email Accounts: You can rotate 10+ domains (baintl-mail.com, baintl-outreach.com) to protect your main domain.
  • Warm-up: Automated warming ensures high deliverability.
  • No Tracking Pixels: Option to send “plain text” emails that look 100% human.

The Architecture

graph LR
    subgraph "Loxo (Database)"
        A[Contact Added]
        D[Status: Responded]
        E[Status: DNC]
    end

    subgraph "n8n (Orchestrator)"
        B{Sync Logic}
        F{Reply Handler}
    end

    subgraph "Instantly.ai (Outreach)"
        C[Campaign: MPC]
        G[Event: Reply]
        H[Event: Bounce]
    end

    A -->|Status: Outreach| B
    B -->|Add to Campaign| C
    C -->|Reply| G
    G -->|Webhook| F
    F -->|Update Record| D
    H -->|Webhook| F
    F -->|Update Record| E

🛠 Workflow Logic

1. The “Push” (Loxo → Instantly)

  • Trigger: Contact Status changes to Outreach in Loxo.
  • Action: n8n grabs the contact and pushes it to the “MPC Campaign” in Instantly.ai.
  • Benefit: Aaron/Dan just change a status; the system handles the rest.

2. The “Pull” (Instantly → Loxo)

  • Trigger: Prospect replies in Instantly.
  • Action:
    1. Instantly pauses the sequence (Native feature).
    2. n8n Webhook fires.
    3. n8n finds the contact in Loxo and updates Status to Responded [Auto].
    4. n8n creates a “Task” in Loxo for Aaron/Dan: “Reply to [Name]“.

💰 Cost & Effort Analysis

FeatureLoxo NativeBest-of-Breed (Loxo + Instantly)
Deliverability⚠️ Medium (Shared IP/Tracking)✅ High (Rotation + Warming)
Automation❌ Manual Status Updates✅ Fully Automated
Setup Effort🟢 Low (Built-in)🔴 High (Requires n8n setup)
Maintenance🟢 Low🟡 Medium (Monitor n8n)
CostIncluded in Seat+$37/mo (Instantly) + n8n hosting

Recommendation

If Deliverability and Automation are the top priorities, the Best-of-Breed stack is superior. The initial setup cost (building the n8n workflows) pays dividends in saved time and higher response rates.

Implementation Plan (2026-01-24)

Weekend Setup (Jan 25-26)

  1. Create Instantly.ai account for BAINTL
  2. Connect mail.baintl.com and warm-up domains
  3. Configure domain warm-up settings
  4. Set up Instantly.ai MCP server for n8n integration
  5. Build n8n “Push” workflow (Loxo → Instantly)
  6. Build n8n “Pull” workflow (Instantly → Loxo)
  7. Create first campaign (Conservative MPC for extrusion)

Launch Week (Jan 27-28)

  1. Final integration testing
  2. Deploy first campaign to 190 extrusion contacts
  3. Monitor deliverability and response metrics

Integration Notes

  • Instantly.ai MCP Server: Enables programmatic control from n8n
  • Loxo ↔ n8n ↔ Instantly: Full automation layer for status sync, campaign triggers, reply handling
  • Plain-text emails: No tracking pixels for maximum deliverability

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