This article describes the actions you can perform on a program after it has been activated.
For more information on how programs behave in different states, see Changing your program's status.
Pausing, freezing and aborting programs
These actions work only on the entry node of a program and on any Wait nodes in it.
If a contact has already reached another node when you initiate the action, they will still be processed by it, even if they are being queued at the time. To be on the safe side, you should expect all contacts that are not queued at Wait nodes to be processed by the program, including receiving any messages.
Pausing a program
When should I pause a program?
You can pause programs when you need to modify the campaigns used in them or make adjustments to external sources (e.g. your database or website).
Which programs can I pause?
You can pause only Active programs.
What happens to contacts who would enter the program?
When a program is paused contacts can enter it but they will be queued at the first node*. This has the advantage that you will not lose any contacts.
*Contacts cannot enter recurring programs while they are paused.
What happens to contacts already in the program?
Contacts already in the program are queued at their next node.
What are the effects of pausing a program?
Queues can build quickly at the entry point and at Wait nodes. When you resume the program it will try to process all the contacts at the same time, which might slow down the program.
The length of time you can safely pause a program depends on the size of your database and the volume of contacts that pass through it, but as a general rule we recommend pausing programs for no longer than 120 minutes.
Important:
- The status of Paused programs changes to Frozen after three days. As opposed to Aborted programs, Frozen programs keep their participation settings and data, and they can be reactivated.
- Leaving a program paused for a number of days can lead to large numbers of contacts being queued in the Automation Center.
- If you want to suspend the program activity for more than 3 days, you should use the freeze function instead. For more information, see Freezing a program.
If you pause an Active recurring program, every future recurrence will be canceled while the program is Paused. After resuming the program, it will start running again according to the defined schedule.
Pausing a program
To pause a program, click the program status button (the name of the button reflects the status of your program, for example Program is Active) in the top right corner, then select Pause.
Freezing a program
When should I freeze a program?
We recommend freezing a program if:
- You would like to pause a running program and close it for incoming contacts.
- You think that your maintenance will take longer than a few hours.
What happens to contacts who would enter the program?
Freezing a program prevents any contacts from entering it (they are discarded without any record being kept).
What happens to contacts already in the program?
Contacts already in the program are queued at their next node.
What are the effects of freezing a program?
There is no delay when you resume a Frozen program and it will not result in the build-up of contacts in the queue. However, you will of course lose the contacts who would otherwise have entered the program during this time.
We recommend freezing a program if you want to stop it for longer than 120 minutes.
Freezing a program
To freeze a program, click the program status button (the name of the button reflects the status of your program, for example Program is Active) in the top right corner, then select Freeze.
Aborting a program
When should I abort a program?
Aborting a program will stop all activity in a program and all contacts in it will exit immediately.
What happens to contacts who would enter the program?
When you abort a program it prevents contacts from entering it.
What happens to contacts already in the program?
All contacts who have already entered the program will exit immediately.
What are the effects of aborting a program?
Aborting a program stops all activity in it, contacts cannot enter the program and all contacts already in the program exit immediately. All exclusive assets (except email campaigns) will be freed up and made available for selection in other programs.
Aborting a program will not stop emails using Send Time Optimization that are already scheduled for launch. For more information, see Send Time Optimization - End-user guide.
After aborting a program, you cannot edit or reactivate it.
Aborting a program
To abort a program, click the program status button (the name of the button reflects the status of your program, for example Program is Active) in the top right corner, then select Abort.
If aborting a program does not succeed and the program status does not change, please retry the abort, that should resolve the issue.
Reactivating a program
What happens to contacts who would enter the program if I reactivate a paused program?
While your program is Paused, contacts can enter it but they are queued at the entry node. Therefore, you will not lose any contacts when you resume a Paused program.
After reactivating a Paused program, contacts will continue their flow through the program.
What happens to contacts who would enter the program if I reactivate a Frozen program?
While your program is Frozen, contacts cannot enter it (they are discarded without any record being kept).
After resuming a Frozen program, contacts can enter it again.
What happens to contacts already in the program?
After reactivating a Paused or Frozen program, contacts who have already entered the program are allowed to pass through it until they exit it.
Reactivating a program
To resume a paused or frozen program, click the program status button (the name of the button reflects the status of your program, for example Program is Paused or Program is Frozen) in the top right corner, then select Reactivate.
Finishing a program
What happens to contacts who would enter the program?
When you finish a program, contacts cannot enter it.
What happens to contacts already in the program?
Contacts who have already entered the program are allowed to continue through it until they exit it.
What are the effects of finishing a program?
All the exclusive assets in the program remain exclusive and cannot be used in other programs.
Finishing a program
To finish a program, click the program status button (the name of the button reflects the status of your program, for example Program is Active) in the top right corner, then select Finish.
Deleting a program
You can only delete In Design or Aborted programs.
Deleting the program will free all associated resources (forms, fields, emails, etc.) for use in other programs, except for emails that have already been launched during a test. To re-use these emails, you must copy them.