TL;DR
Pause leads manually from the Lead list or configure campaign Automation settings to automatically continue, pause, or stop leads after actions like link clicks, replies, and booked meetings. Paused leads keep their place in the sequence and can be resumed later if the campaign is still relevant.
Who Should Use This
Sales reps managing active campaigns who need to pause leads manually
Teams who want campaign actions like replies or meetings to automatically pause or stop leads
Anyone who wants more flexibility than automatically stopping a lead after they respond
Why This Matters
Campaign automation settings now give you more control over what happens after a lead takes action. Instead of relying on one fixed behavior, you can choose whether a lead should continue, pause, or stop when they click a link, reply, or book a meeting.
This is especially useful when a reply doesn't mean the sequence should end completely. For example, if a lead answers with something like "Thanks" or another non-actionable reply, you can pause them, review the context, and later resume the sequence if it still makes sense.
Before You Start
Pause vs. Stop vs. Skip difference:
Pause: Temporarily freezes a lead already in your campaign and lets you resume them later
Stop: Permanently ends the lead’s sequence
Skip: Prevents a lead from starting a campaign before launch
You can manually pause leads from the Lead list, and you can also configure campaign Automation settings to decide whether leads should continue, pause, or stop automatically after specific actions.
Step-by-Step Guide
Set Up Campaign Automation Rules
Step 1: Open the campaign automation settings
Open your campaign, click the settings icon, then select Automation in the settings modal.
Step 2: Choose what happens when a lead clicks a link
In the When people click on a link block, choose whether the lead should Continue, Pause lead, or Stop lead.
Step 3: Choose what happens when a lead replies
In the When people reply block, choose whether the lead should Continue, Pause lead, or Stop lead. Use Pause lead if you want to review the reply first and potentially resume the sequence later.
Step 4: Choose what happens when a lead books a meeting
In the When people book a meeting block, choose whether the lead should Continue, Pause lead, or Stop lead, depending on how you want that campaign to behave.
Pause a Lead Manually
Step 5: Open the campaign
Go to Campaigns, then click the campaign you want to manage.
Step 6: Pause the lead
From the campaign’s Lead list, click the lead you want to pause to open their details panel. In the lead’s campaign card, click the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Pause lead.
Step 7: Confirm the pause
The lead's status changes to Paused.
✅ Verify: The lead no longer progresses in the sequence while paused.
What Happens When You Pause
Immediate effects:
All scheduled emails stop for this lead
Their current position in the sequence is preserved
Delays freeze at their current countdown
No steps send until you resume or stop them
Example:
Lead is in a 4-day delay before Step 3
You pause them on Day 2 of that delay
When resumed, they continue with 2 days remaining before Step 3
Resume a Paused Lead
Step 8: Filter to find paused leads
In the campaign’s Lead list, click the filter icon, select Paused under Status, then click Apply.
Step 9: Resume the lead
Click the paused lead to open their details panel. In the lead’s campaign card, click the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Resume lead. The lead’s status returns to In Progress and their sequence resumes.
✅ Verify: The lead continues from the same position in the sequence.
💡 Tip: If the sequence is no longer relevant, stop the lead instead of resuming them.
How You'll Know It Worked
✅ Lead status shows Paused when the sequence is on hold
✅ No more campaign steps send to that lead while paused
✅ Lead position is preserved
✅ After resuming, the sequence continues from the same place
Common Use Cases
Non-committal replies:
Lead replies with "Thanks" or another message that doesn't mean the sequence should end
Set reply automation to Pause lead
Review the conversation manually
Resume if the sequence is still relevant
Out-of-office replies:
Lead replies "Out until June 15"
Pause immediately or use automation rules that support your process
Set a reminder for June 15
Resume when they're back
Manual follow-up needed:
Lead requests a call or asks a question
Pause to stop automated outreach
Handle the conversation manually
Resume or stop depending on the outcome
Meeting booked:
Lead books a meeting
Set automation to Stop lead or Pause lead depending on your workflow
Prevent irrelevant follow-ups from sending
Link engagement workflows:
Lead clicks a key link in your sequence
Choose whether they should continue, pause, or stop based on your process
Use this to create more intentional follow-up behavior
Troubleshooting
Issue: Can't find Pause option
Fix: Pause only works for leads already launched and active in the campaign. If the lead hasn't started yet, use Skip instead.
Issue: A reply stopped the lead, but I wanted to review it first
Fix: Open the campaign Automation settings and update the When people reply rule to Pause lead instead of Stop lead.
Issue: A paused lead still received an email
Fix: If a step was already queued to send within minutes, it may still go out before the pause takes effect. Future steps will stop.
Issue: Resumed lead isn't receiving emails
Fix:
Check the campaign isn't paused at the campaign level
Verify the sender account is still connected
Review whether another automation rule should stop the lead after a different action
Make sure you didn't change the original sender mid-campaign
Ensure you're within the campaign sending window
Issue: Forgot which leads are paused
Fix: Go to the campaign Lead list → Filter by Status: Paused. Review the list regularly and resume or stop leads as needed.
Pause vs. Stop vs. Skip
Pause (temporary hold):
Use when: You need to stop the sequence temporarily, but may resume it later
Effect: Freezes the sequence and preserves position
Best for: Out-of-office, unclear replies, manual review, timing issues
Stop (end sequence):
Use when: The lead should permanently exit the campaign
Effect: Ends the sequence and cannot be resumed as an active paused lead
Best for: Not interested, qualified out, deal closed, meeting completed workflows
Skip (prevent from starting):
Use when: The lead hasn't been contacted yet and shouldn't start
Effect: Stays in the campaign but never enters the sequence
Best for: Before launch only, wrong target, missing data
💡 Quick rule:
Pause = temporary hold.
Stop = permanent end.
Skip = never start.
Tips for Optimization
Use automation intentionally - Set different behaviors for clicks, replies, and meetings based on how your team works.
Pause instead of stop for ambiguous replies - If not every reply means the sequence should end, use Pause lead so you can review and resume later.
Review paused leads weekly - Check your paused list regularly and decide whether to resume or stop each lead.
Match meeting behavior to your process - Some teams stop leads after a meeting is booked, while others pause them until the meeting happens.
Don't pause indefinitely - If a lead has been paused too long with no next step, stopping them may be cleaner for reporting and outreach.