How to Pause Workflows

Managing your automations efficiently is crucial for ensuring your customers and leads have a smooth experience, especially during holidays or other specific periods. Users can now pause workflows or automations for custom date ranges. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step.

Why Pause Workflows?

There are times when you might want to temporarily halt automated email sequences or other workflows. Common scenarios include:

• National or personal holidays.
• Scheduled downtime or system maintenance.
• Preventing emails from being sent during sensitive or inappropriate times.

With global workflow settings, you can easily pause workflows for specific dates.

Steps to Pause Workflows in Referins

Access the Automation Section
Log in to your account and navigate to the Automation section. Here, you’ll find all your active workflows.

Open Global Workflow Settings
At the top of the Automation section, click on Global Workflow Settings. This is where you can manage workflow-related configurations, including the pause functionality.

Enable the Pause Workflow Option
In the Global Workflow Settings, locate the Pause Workflow option. Click on it to start configuring a pause period.

Set Date Ranges

• Add a start date and time for when you want the workflows to pause.
• Add an end date and time for when the workflows should resume.

Note: The maximum date range allowed is 15 days. If you try to exceed this limit, the system will not save your settings.

Select Workflows to Pause

You can choose to pause all published workflows or manually select specific workflows.

Multiple workflows can be selected if needed.

Adding Multiple Date Ranges

You can add multiple rows of date ranges by clicking on the "Add Date" button. Currently, users can add up to 15 different date ranges to pause workflows.

 Enable the "Annually" Option

If you want to pause certain workflows on the same dates every year, simply check the "Annually" checkbox available for each row item. Once selected, the workflows will automatically pause for the specified dates every year without requiring further configuration.

 Clone and Delete Options

To duplicate a row item, click on the Clone icon located beside each row. This will create an exact copy of the selected row. If you wish to remove a row item, click on the Delete icon to delete it from the list.

 Paused Status

When workflows are in the "Paused" state, their status will be reflected on the Workflow Landing Page. Each paused workflow will have its status prominently highlighted as "Paused" for easy identification.

Builder Settings 

A new section called "Pause Workflow" has been added to the builder settings for each workflow. This section provides details about the date and time when the workflow was paused.

Additionally, you can access the "Global Workflow Settings" from this page if you need to modify the pause dates.

Important Considerations

Ensure that date ranges for pauses do not overlap. For example, if Workflow A is paused from November 1 to November 15, it cannot overlap with another pause for Workflow A during the same period.

Only published workflows can be paused. Drafted or unpublished workflows are not affected.

Save the Settings
Once all configurations are complete, click Save to apply the changes. The selected workflows will now be paused during the specified dates.

Additional Tips

• Duplicating Pause Settings: If you need similar pause settings for different workflows or date ranges, you can duplicate the configurations to save time.
• Monitoring Workflow Status: During the paused period, the workflows will be drafted automatically. After the date range ends, the workflows will resume normal operation.

Benefits

Pausing workflows is a practical feature for managing your automations with flexibility and precision. By ensuring that emails and other automations are halted during specified times, you can maintain professionalism and avoid inconveniencing your audience.

This feature is especially useful for businesses looking to maintain strong customer relationships while adapting to changing schedules and events. Follow these steps, and you'll have complete control over your workflows whenever needed.

FAQs About Pausing Workflows or Automations

1. What is the maximum date range for pausing workflows?

The maximum date range you can set for pausing workflows is 15 days. If you need to pause workflows for a longer period, you’ll need to create multiple non-overlapping date ranges.

2. Can I pause all workflows at once?

Yes, you can. In the Global Workflow Settings, you have the option to pause all published workflows or select specific workflows individually.

3. Can I pause a workflow that is still in draft mode?

No, only published workflows can be paused. Drafted or unpublished workflows are not affected by this setting.

4. What happens to workflows during the paused period?

During the paused period, the selected workflows are automatically set to draft status. They will not send any emails or perform other actions until the pause period ends.

5. Can date ranges for pausing workflows overlap?

No, overlapping date ranges for the same workflow are not allowed. For example, if Workflow A is paused from November 1 to November 15, you cannot create another pause for Workflow A that overlaps with these dates.

6. Can I edit or delete a pause period after it has been set?

Yes, you can edit or delete the pause period at any time by returning to the Global Workflow Settings and modifying the configurations.