> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gosendwhale.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Activate, Pause, and Resume Automations in SendWhale

> Activate a validated workflow to begin enrolling contacts, pause it to make edits, and understand what happens to contacts that are currently mid-workflow.

Once your automation passes validation in the workflow builder, you can move it through its full lifecycle — activating it to begin enrolling contacts, pausing it when you need to make changes, and resuming it when you are ready to continue.

<Warning>
  Activating an automation immediately begins enrolling matching contacts. Test your workflow with a small test audience before activating it for your full contact list.
</Warning>

## Why incomplete automations cannot activate

Every step in the workflow must have a valid trigger, at least one action, and all required content (such as a chosen email template and a verified sender address) before you can activate. If any step is incomplete, the **Activate** button remains unavailable and the builder highlights the issues for you to resolve.

## Activating an automation

After the workflow passes validation, click **Activate**. The automation status changes to **Active** and SendWhale immediately begins evaluating contacts against the trigger condition and enrolling those who match.

## Pausing an automation

Click **Pause** on an active automation to temporarily stop enrolling new contacts. Use pausing when you need to make edits or investigate unexpected behavior without fully deactivating the workflow.

**What happens to currently enrolled contacts:** contacts who are already mid-workflow continue progressing through their current step while the automation is paused. New contacts do not enroll until you resume.

## Resuming a paused automation

Click **Resume** to restart contact enrollment. Contacts who match the trigger from the moment of resumption onward will enter the workflow; contacts who matched the trigger while the automation was paused are not retroactively enrolled.

## Deactivating an automation

Deactivating stops the automation entirely. Existing enrolled contacts may complete their remaining steps or be dropped from the workflow depending on the step they are currently in — verify the expected behavior in the builder before deactivating a workflow that has active enrolled contacts.


## Related topics

- [Build a SendWhale Automation Workflow: Step-by-Step Guide](/automations/build.md)
- [SendWhale Automation Logs: Monitor Execution and Errors](/automations/logs.md)
- [SendWhale Automations Overview: Triggers, Actions, Flows](/automations/overview.md)
- [Troubleshoot Swell AI Issues and Errors in SendWhale](/swell/troubleshooting.md)
- [SendWhale: AI-powered email marketing for your brand](/introduction.md)


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