---
title: "Pause and resume an AI agent"
description: "Turn an Interlinked AI agent off or on from My Agents while preserving its saved configuration and published versions."
section: "AI agent management"
url: https://interlinked-ai.com/en/resources/docs/pause-and-resume-an-agent
lang: en
lastUpdated: 2026-08-13
reviewedAt: 2026-08-13
---

# Pause and resume an AI agent

## Turn an agent off

Open **My Agents** and find the agent card. The card includes an **On / Off** switch. When the agent is on, changing the switch to off opens a confirmation dialog.

The dialog explains that turning the agent off stops it from responding on its assigned channels. Its saved configuration and published versions are preserved. Confirm with **Turn off** when you want the stop to apply.

<div class="docs-media-placeholder">
  <p class="mono-label">Screenshot: My Agents card with the On / Off switch and the Turn off confirmation dialog</p>
</div>

Turning an agent off is different from taking manual control of one conversation. A paused agent stops customer-facing responses across its assigned channels. Manual control pauses AI handling for a specific conversation and follows the 15-minute reactivation rule described in [Switch between AI and manual control](/en/resources/docs/switch-between-ai-and-manual-control).

## Resume an agent

To resume an agent, return to **My Agents** and turn its switch on. If its readiness checks are complete, the agent returns to customer-facing operation.

If the switch cannot be enabled, the panel opens **Setup required before turning on** and lists the missing requirements. Select **Finish setup**, resolve each blocker, and return to the agent card. Common blockers include a missing published configuration, an inactive customer channel, or a channel that is no longer assigned to the agent.

## What pausing does not change

Turning the agent off does not delete:

- the agent’s draft configuration;
- its published configuration;
- connected app records;
- product or service catalogs; or
- conversation history already stored in the CRM.

It also does not discard unpublished changes. If you want to remove draft edits, open the agent’s **Unpublished changes** tray and use **Discard Changes** separately.

## When to pause first

Pause an agent before making a change that needs a quiet review period, for example:

- a major workflow or business-policy change;
- a channel reassignment;
- a catalog or service correction that could change customer answers; or
- a temporary business closure that should stop automated replies.

After the change, review [Agent readiness](/en/resources/docs/review-agent-readiness), publish if needed, and resume only when the customer experience is ready.

## If customers still receive messages

First confirm that the correct agent card shows **Off** and that the channel is not assigned to another active agent. Then check the conversation in CRM and the channel connection status. If the behavior continues after a refresh, record the agent name, channel, time, and visible status before contacting support. See [Troubleshooting and support](/en/resources/docs/troubleshooting-and-support-overview).