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

# Pause, archive or stop a campaign

> Stop a Brilo campaign calling, take it off your active list by archiving it, and know what happens to calls that are already connected.

Three different things, often confused. Pausing stops new contact and is reversible. Archiving takes a
finished campaign off your working list. Neither one reaches into a call that is already connected.

## Before you start

* A running campaign.
* One minute, less if you are in a hurry, which is usually why you are here.

## Stop it calling now

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pause the campaign">
    Open the campaign and pause it. No new calls, texts, or emails go out from that point.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Let connected calls finish">
    A call that is already connected finishes normally. You cannot cut off a live conversation from here,
    and you would not want to: hanging up on somebody mid sentence is worse than the call you were trying
    to stop.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check nothing is still queued">
    Watch **placed today** on the **Contacts** tab. It should stop climbing. See
    [Add contacts to a campaign](/campaigns/add-contacts).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What each action does

| Action           | Stops new contact        | Reversible        | Keeps history | Use it when                                       |
| ---------------- | ------------------------ | ----------------- | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Pause**        | Yes                      | Yes               | Yes           | You need to fix something, or you are not sure    |
| **Archive**      | Yes                      | Effectively final | Yes           | The campaign is finished and cluttering your list |
| Remove a contact | For that person only     | Yes               | Yes           | One person should not be contacted again          |
| Set an exit rule | Automatically, in future | Yes               | Yes           | You want this to stop happening on its own        |

If you are unsure, pause. It is the only one of these that costs nothing to get wrong.

## Archive a campaign

Archiving is for campaigns that are done. It takes them off your active list while keeping the contacts,
the calls, the recordings, and the results, so you can still answer questions about what happened.

Archive when the sequence has run its course and the contacts are **Completed** or **Exited**. Do not
archive to stop a campaign that is still running, because pausing is the tool for that and archiving is
not meant to be undone.

## Stopping one person rather than the campaign

Most of the time the real problem is one contact, not the whole list. You have better options than
pausing everything:

* **Remove or exit that contact**, which leaves the campaign running for everybody else.
* **Add an exit rule** so the same situation stops the next person automatically. See
  [Stop calling a contact](/campaigns/stop-calling-a-contact).
* **Honour an unsubscribe**, which suppresses them across future contact. See
  [Let people unsubscribe](/campaigns/let-people-unsubscribe).

If somebody has asked not to be called again, an exit rule or a suppression is the correct answer, not a
mental note.

## What else you can do here

* Slow a campaign down instead of stopping it, by lowering the daily cap. See
  [Control how fast a campaign dials](/campaigns/control-how-fast-it-dials).
* Narrow the calling window so it only runs when you are around to watch it. See
  [Choose when calls go out](/campaigns/choose-when-calls-go-out).
* Change the steps while it is paused, then resume.

## If it did not work

**A call went out after you paused.** It was already in flight. Pausing prevents new contact and does not
recall a call that has started dialling.

**The campaign resumed on its own.** It did not. Check whether somebody else in the workspace resumed it,
and check the campaign **Owner** in **Settings** for who to ask. See
[Who can do what](/account/who-can-do-what).

**You paused the wrong campaign.** Resume it. Nothing is lost, and contacts pick up where they were.

**You archived a campaign you still needed.** Contact [support@brilo.ai](mailto:support@brilo.ai). Treat
archiving as final in your own planning.

**Contacts are still being emailed.** Check whether they are enrolled in a second campaign as well.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I stop a Brilo campaign immediately?">
    Pause it. No new calls, texts, or emails go out from that moment. A call that is already connected
    finishes normally, because cutting off a live conversation would be worse than letting it end.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between pausing and archiving a campaign?">
    Pausing stops contact and is fully reversible, so it is what you want when something is wrong.
    Archiving takes a finished campaign off your active list and should be treated as final.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does pausing a campaign lose my contacts' progress?">
    No. Everybody keeps their status and their place in the sequence, and picks up from there when you
    resume.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I stop calling one person without pausing the whole campaign?">
    Yes, and that is usually the right move. Exit or remove that contact, or add an exit rule so the same
    thing stops the next person automatically. See
    [Stop calling a contact](/campaigns/stop-calling-a-contact).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I keep the recordings and results after archiving?">
    Yes. Contacts, calls, transcripts, recordings, and results all stay, subject to your retention
    period. See [Recordings, transcripts and retention](/compliance/recordings-and-retention).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I edit a campaign's steps while it is paused?">
    Yes, and pausing first is the sensible way to make a significant change. Contacts partway through
    continue on the updated sequence when you resume.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

* [Stop calling a contact](/campaigns/stop-calling-a-contact) to make this automatic
* [Control how fast a campaign dials](/campaigns/control-how-fast-it-dials) to slow down instead
* [Let people unsubscribe](/campaigns/let-people-unsubscribe) when somebody asks to be left alone
* [Add contacts to a campaign](/campaigns/add-contacts) to confirm calls have stopped
* [Who can do what](/account/who-can-do-what) for who else can resume it