How to bulk update candidate status, message candidates in bulk, and move whole groups to the next stage

What bulk actions are and when to use them

Bulk actions let you act on a group of candidates at once instead of one by one. In ATS Mako you can bulk update candidate status, send mass SMS and email, and tie outreach to dates and schedules. If candidates are sitting in the same stage with no next step, that is usually the sign to use them. The feature overview lives on the Bulk Actions at Scale page.

• A new batch of applicants needs the same screening message.
• A group passed screening and should move to the next stage together.
• A role is filled and the remaining candidates need to be put on hold or closed.
• A block of interviews needs to be booked, shifted or retimed.

Likely causes when a bulk action misses people

If a send or stage move did not reach everyone you expected, check these first.

• Your audience criteria are too narrow. A filter on role, stage, location or activity may be leaving people out.
• Some candidates opted out. A candidate who replied STOP is marked opted out and excluded from future automated SMS sends.
• You picked one channel only. A candidate you expected to reach by text may only be reachable by email, or the reverse.
• Quiet-hours awareness is in effect for SMS, so timing matters for texts.

Filter, select and act: step by step

1. 1 Build your audience Use the dynamic audience builder to slice your pipeline by role, stage, location or activity. Define the criteria once and the segment stays current. For more on targeting, see how audience segmentation works.
2. 2 Review who is in the segment Before you act, scan the list. Confirm the role, stage and location match what you intend. This is the cheapest place to catch a mistake.
3. 3 Choose SMS, email or both Pick the channel that fits the message. Short, time-sensitive nudges suit text. Longer details suit email. If you want email to go out from your own address, read about connecting your own email.
4. 4 Personalize the message Bulk sends pull in candidate details, so each text and email reads like a one-to-one message. Write the message once, insert the candidate details you need, and keep it short.
5. 5 Send to the whole segment Send in a single action. Messages go out under your logo, your colors and your domain. Replies route back into each candidate's own conversation thread.
6. 6 Bulk change stage or disposition To bulk move applicants to the next stage, select the group and run a bulk status update. You can advance, hold or close an entire group in one action.
7. 7 Bulk schedule interviews Send your self-scheduling link to the segment so candidates book their own slot against your real availability. Use calendar-triggered outreach to tie messages to dates, and use bulk event updates to reschedule, retime or shift a batch of interviews in one move.

Hi [candidate first name], thanks for applying for the [role] position at [location]. You're invited to interview. Pick a time that works for you here: [your scheduling link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

How to confirm it worked

Undoing a bulk action and keeping a record

If you moved the wrong group, select those candidates and run another bulk status update to put them back in the right stage. Treat a message send as final and review before you send. Every reply lands on the candidate's own record, so the conversation stays part of their pipeline history.

Best practices to avoid errors

• Check the segment size and criteria before every send.
• Send a test to yourself or a teammate first when the message is new.
• Keep one action per send: message first, then move stages, so you can check each step.
• Respect consent. ATS Mako supports opt-in, Reply STOP opt-out and quiet-hours awareness for SMS, plus unsubscribe handling on email.
• Use personalization so a bulk send still reads like a direct message.

When to contact support

Contact support if a segment keeps showing candidates who do not match your criteria, if replies are not appearing on candidate records, or if a bulk status update did not change stages as expected. Include the role, the stage and roughly when you ran the action. For a seasonal example of bulk actions in practice, see bulk candidate actions for seasonal hiring.