In short

Pausing stops an automation from running without deleting it or changing its setup. Any run that falls while it is paused is skipped for good and does not catch up when you unpause. Select the pause icon next to the pencil icon to pause, and the unpause icon to start it again. It stays paused until you unpause it.

When to pause

Pause when you need a short break from sending, but want to keep the automation for later. For example:

A roster announcement or trade, where a planned message would land badly
A crisis communications situation
A break in the season, such as the All-Star break
Skipping one game with an event-based automation. See below.

What happens while an automation is paused

Pausing takes effect straight away. A run already in progress finishes all its steps, including the push. The pause applies from the next run.
Runs during the pause are skipped for good. They never start, so they do not appear in the run history and cannot be re-run.
No notifications are sent for runs skipped because of a pause.
Your setup is kept. Audience criteria, goal, settings, destinations, and run history all stay as they were.
The automation stays visible on the Automations home screen with a Paused status.
The end date still applies. If the automation period ends while it is paused, the status changes to Completed.

Important: There is no way to recover a run that was skipped by a pause. If you need that audience, unpause before the run is due.

How to pause an automation

From the Segmentation menu, select Automations.
Find the automation and select the pause icon, next to the pencil icon. You can also do this from the automation's management screen.
Check the automation now shows a Paused status, and the message 'This automation is paused. All scheduled runs will be skipped until the automation is unpaused.'

How to unpause an automation

From the Segmentation menu, select Automations.
Find the paused automation and select the unpause icon, next to the pencil icon.

The automation runs again from its next scheduled run or game. Unpausing is manual only. You cannot set a date for it to restart on its own.

Skip a single game

An event-based automation runs for every game in your schedule. To skip one game:

Pause the automation before that game's trigger time.
Unpause it after the trigger time has passed, and before the next game's trigger time.

Tip: Check the trigger timing in the automation's settings so you know the window you need to pause across. If the trigger is set for after the game, pause and unpause around that time, not the game itself.

Pause, edit, or delete

If you want to	Do this
Stop sending for a while, then carry on with the same setup	Pause, then unpause
Change who it targets, its goal, settings, or destinations	Edit the automation. You can pause it first if you want no runs while you make changes.
Stop it for good	Delete it, or let it reach its end date

FAQ

Will the runs I missed run when I unpause?
No. Runs that fall during a pause are skipped for good. The automation picks up from its next scheduled run or game.

Can I re-run a run that was skipped because of a pause?
No. Those runs never start, so they do not appear in the run history and there is nothing to re-run.

Can I edit a paused automation?
Yes. Edit it as normal, and your changes apply from the first run after you unpause.

Can I pause just one run or one game?
Pausing applies to the whole automation, not a single run. To skip one game, pause before its trigger time and unpause afterwards.

What happens if the end date passes while it is paused?
The automation moves to Completed, the same as any automation that reaches its end date.

Can I schedule an automation to unpause itself?
No. Unpausing is manual only.

Still need help?

Contact StellarAlgo support and include:

The automation name
When you paused and unpaused it
The run or game you expected it to run for

Pause or unpause an automation