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Start, pause, resume, or end an automation

Every automation — a drip sequence, a trigger-based journey, or a recurring series — has a run state that controls whether it is actively evaluating subscribers and sending Broadcasts. This page shows an Author how to move an automation between those states without losing the work already in progress.

Before you begin​

  • Confirm you have permission to publish and manage automations in your account.
  • Make sure each Edition used in the automation is finished and approved — starting a series with unapproved steps can block delivery.
  • Understand the four states: Draft (not running), Active (running and enrolling subscribers), Paused (running but temporarily holding sends), and Ended (stopped permanently).
  • Open the automation you want to change from its Folder (confirm the exact steps in your account).

Steps​

  1. Open the automation and review its current state, shown near the automation name or in the status column of the list.
  2. To start: with the automation open, choose the option to make it live/active. Subscribers who meet the entry conditions begin enrolling from that point forward.
  3. To pause: choose the pause option. Enrolled subscribers stay in place and no new Broadcasts go out until you resume; depending on your settings, new subscribers may still queue at the entry step.
  4. To resume: open a paused automation and choose resume. Held steps continue on their normal schedule from where they left off.
  5. To end: choose the stop/end option and confirm. This permanently halts the series and removes remaining subscribers from the flow — it cannot be undone.

Result​

The automation's status updates to the state you selected. Active automations resume enrolling and sending; paused ones hold; ended ones stop for good. Check the automation's report to confirm sends have paused or resumed as expected.

Canonical terms: Author, Edition, Folder (Project Folder), Broadcast. See the Glossary.