---
title: "How do I pause or modify an automated campaign in Sarbacane Campaigns?"
description: "Deactivate your scenario to suspend or modify it, then reactivate it when it is ready."
url: https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/453-how-do-i-pause-or-modify-an-automated-campaign-in-sarbacane-campaigns
updated: 2026-11-12
language: en
alternates: [es, fr]
---

# How do I pause or modify an automated campaign in Sarbacane Campaigns?

Deactivate your scenario to suspend or modify it, then reactivate it when it is ready.

To pause or modify an automated campaign in Sarbacane Campaigns, deactivate its scenario: an active scenario cannot be modified. Deactivation stops the journey of all contacts in progress. When you reactivate it, the scenario starts again from the trigger, for new contacts only.

## Prerequisites

-   A Sarbacane Campaigns licence.
    
-   An activated automated campaign.
    

## Steps

1.  In the left menu, click My campaigns.
    
2.  On the automated campaign's thumbnail, in the top right, click the ••• button.
    

**Caution** Deactivation stops the journey of contacts already engaged in the scenario: they will never receive the next messages, even after reactivation.

3.  Click the deactivate option, then in the confirmation window, click the button to deactivate the scenario.
    
4.  To modify the scenario, open the ••• menu again and click the edit option. Make your changes. If you modify a message, go to its checks step and click the button to validate the message.
    

**Important** A message that was modified but not validated shows a grey exclamation mark, and the scenario cannot be activated.

5.  When the scenario is ready, in the top right of the editor, click Activate the workflow, then confirm in the activation window.
    

Reactivation is only possible from the editor: the ••• menu of a deactivated scenario has no option to activate it.

**Note** You can also deactivate the scenario from the editor: in the top right, click the switch showing that the scenario is active.

## Expected result

A confirmation message appears and the thumbnail shows a deactivated status. After reactivation, a confirmation message appears and the thumbnail shows an activated status.

## Troubleshooting

### I cannot modify my scenario

A banner asks you to deactivate the scenario before editing it: the scenario is active. Deactivate it (steps 2 and 3), then modify it.

### I cannot reactivate my scenario

A message shows a grey exclamation mark: it was modified but not validated. Open the message, go to its checks step and click the button to validate the message.

### I cannot delete my automated campaign

In the ••• menu, the option to move the campaign to the trash is greyed out while the scenario is active. Deactivate it first.

### Some contacts did not receive the rest of my scenario

The scenario was deactivated during their journey. Deactivation stops the journey of all contacts in progress: they do not receive the next messages, even after reactivation. To receive them, they must trigger the scenario again from the start.

## Related articles

-   [What types of automated campaigns can you create in Sarbacane Campaigns?](https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/4.md)
    
-   [How do I automatically send a welcome message to new contacts in Sarbacane Campaigns?](https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/2.md)