Apollo.io platform help — config, integrations, CRM sync, API, analytics, dialer, Chrome extension, credit management, admin. Use when Apollo settings aren't configured right, CRM sync is breaking or duplicating records, running out of credits too fast, API calls returning errors, or something in Apollo isn't working as expected. Do NOT use for building prospect lists (use /sales-prospect-list), enriching contacts (use /sales-enrich), interpreting buying signals (use /sales-intent), or designing outbound sequences (use /sales-cadence).
Help the user with Apollo.io platform questions — from configuration and CRM sync through analytics, dialer, API, and credit management.
If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge.
Ask the user:
What area of Apollo do you need help with?
/sales-prospect-list {your question})/sales-enrich {your question})/sales-cadence for strategy, hand off: /sales-apollo-sequences {your question})/sales-intent {your question})What's your role?
What are you trying to accomplish? (describe your specific goal or question)
If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step. Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end — don't gate your response behind gathering complete context.
Note: If the user needs one of the specialized skills, route them there with a brief explanation of why that skill is a better fit.
If the request maps to a specialized skill, route:
/sales-prospect-list/sales-enrich/sales-intent/sales-cadence/sales-apollo-sequencesOtherwise, answer directly from platform knowledge using the reference below.
Provide module-by-module guidance based on the user's area:
Core entities in Apollo — understand these to navigate the UI, build reports, and work with the API:
| Entity | What it represents | Key relationships |
|---|---|---|
| Person | An individual in Apollo's database (265M+) | Can be saved as a Contact |
| Contact | A person saved to your Apollo CRM | Belongs to an Account, can be added to Sequences |
| Account | A company/organization | Has many Contacts |
| Sequence | A multi-step outbound campaign | Has Steps (emails, calls, tasks), has enrolled Contacts |
| Deal | A sales opportunity | Linked to Contacts and Account |
| Task | An action item (call, email, LinkedIn, custom) | Linked to Contact |
| List | A saved collection of Contacts | Static or dynamic (saved search) |
Full API reference: See
references/apollo-api-reference.mdfor complete endpoint documentation, authentication details, and request/response examples.
For detailed API documentation including all endpoints, authentication, rate limits, credit consumption, and bulk operations, consult references/apollo-api-reference.md.
Quick reference: Base URL https://api.apollo.io/api/v1/, API key auth (x-api-key header), rate limits vary by plan. Key capabilities: people search, enrichment, contact/account CRUD, sequence management, deal management.
Always reference references/apollo-api-reference.md when answering API questions — point the user to it for the full endpoint catalog, request/response schemas, and rate limit details beyond what's covered inline here.
If you want Claude to interact with Apollo.io directly (search contacts, enrich records, manage sequences, update pipeline stages), you can install an MCP-based tool that gives Claude live API access.
Option 1: Composio — MCP server with natural language → Apollo API translation
npx skills add composiohq/apollo-automation
Best for: Ad-hoc lookups, natural language queries ("find all VPs at Acme"), quick enrichment tasks. Composio handles auth and translates plain English into API calls.
Option 2: Membrane — Pre-built Apollo actions with direct API proxy
npx skills add membranedev/apolloio
Best for: Structured workflows, bulk operations, pipeline management. Membrane provides typed actions for contacts, accounts, deals, sequences, tasks, and calls with authentication and rate limiting built in.
Both tools handle auth, pagination, and rate limits automatically — prefer them over raw API calls when possible. Use this skill (/sales-apollo) for platform knowledge and guidance; use the MCP tools when you need Claude to actually read or write Apollo data.
Based on the user's specific question:
references/apollo-api-reference.md." This citation is mandatory even when you provide inline code examples.Don't confuse Apollo's database search with enrichment. Searching for people is free and doesn't consume credits. Enrichment (revealing emails/phones) consumes credits. Claude often generates workflows that search + enrich in one step without warning about credit costs.
Don't assume all Apollo features are available on all plans. Dialer requires Professional+, parallel dialing requires Organization, SSO requires Organization, custom reporting requires Organization. Always ask about the user's plan before recommending gated features.
Don't recommend the Chrome extension for bulk LinkedIn prospecting. LinkedIn aggressively rate-limits scraping. Prospecting too quickly via the extension can get the user's LinkedIn account restricted. Recommend Apollo's built-in search instead for bulk list building.
Don't treat Apollo's CRM as a replacement for Salesforce/HubSpot. Apollo has its own contact/account/deal objects, but most teams use it alongside a CRM, not instead of one. Sync configuration is critical — misconfigurations cause duplicates and data conflicts.
Don't generate raw API code when a UI walkthrough would suffice. Most Apollo users are salespeople, not developers. Default to UI instructions unless the user specifically asks for API/automation help.
Always cite the API reference file for API questions. When the user asks anything about the Apollo API — endpoints, authentication, rate limits, payloads, or integration code — you MUST include a pointer to references/apollo-api-reference.md in your response. Example: "For the complete API reference with all endpoints, authentication details, and request/response examples, see references/apollo-api-reference.md." Never answer an API question without this citation.
Self-improving: If you discover something not covered here, append it to references/learnings.md with today's date.
/sales-prospect-list — Build targeted prospect lists using Apollo's search filters/sales-enrich — Enrich contacts with emails, phones, and firmographic data/sales-intent — Interpret buying signals and prioritize accounts/sales-apollo-sequences — Create and manage sequences in Apollo/sales-cadence — Design outbound cadence strategy (platform-agnostic)/sales-salesloft — Salesloft platform help (if using Salesloft instead of Apollo)/sales-do — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skills sales-doUser says: "My Apollo-Salesforce sync keeps creating duplicate contacts" Skill does:
User says: "I want to use the Apollo API to auto-create contacts from our onboarding form" Skill does:
x-api-key header) and the POST /contacts endpointreferences/apollo-api-reference.md for the full endpoint catalog, request/response schemas, and rate limits
Result: User has a working integration plan and knows where to find complete API documentation in references/apollo-api-reference.mdUser says: "I'm burning through my Apollo credits too fast" Skill does:
Symptom: Duplicate records or data overwritten between Apollo and CRM Cause: Bi-directional sync with conflicting field mappings or missing dedup rules Solution: Review Settings > Integrations > CRM. Set sync direction per field. Enable duplicate detection. Use Apollo's dedup tool to merge existing duplicates.
Symptom: Extension doesn't load on LinkedIn or shows errors Cause: LinkedIn DOM changes, extension update needed, or browser conflicts Solution: Update the extension, clear browser cache, disable conflicting extensions. If on LinkedIn, check if you've hit LinkedIn's daily viewing limits.
Symptom: Emails landing in spam or low open rates Cause: Missing SPF/DKIM/DMARC, sending volume too high too fast, or poor sender reputation Solution: Verify domain authentication in Settings > Email. Use Inbox Ramp Up for new mailboxes. Keep daily sending volume under 50/day per mailbox initially. Monitor the Deliverability Command Center.