How to Pause Workflows on Certain Dates in GoHighLevel

If you manage complex automation across tools like ClickUp and GoHighLevel, you may need to prevent messages from sending on holidays, events, or blackout periods. In this guide, you will learn exactly how to pause automations on specific dates inside GoHighLevel using the built-in Workflow Settings, so your campaigns stop and restart automatically without manual intervention.

This step-by-step article is based on the official documentation and walks you through configuring date-based pausing for any workflow, including how it affects triggers and actions when a contact moves through your automation.

Why Use Date-Based Pauses in GoHighLevel

Pausing workflows on certain dates in GoHighLevel helps you protect your brand reputation and improve customer experience. You can ensure contacts do not receive unwanted messages during sensitive days or when your team is unavailable.

Common reasons to pause automations include:

• Public holidays where your audience does not expect outreach.
• Company-wide events or conferences.
• Seasonal blackout periods for specific campaigns.
• Internal maintenance windows for your CRM processes in GoHighLevel.

Instead of manually turning workflows on and off, you can define exact dates when the automation should be paused. GoHighLevel then automatically holds affected actions and resumes them when the pause window ends.

Accessing Workflow Settings in GoHighLevel

To pause a workflow on specific dates, you will work within the workflow builder. The option is available in the settings area of each automation.

1. Log in to your GoHighLevel account.

2. Navigate to Automation and open the Workflows section.

3. Select the workflow you want to configure.

4. Once inside the workflow builder, locate and click on Settings in the top bar.

The workflow settings panel contains several configuration options. One of these is a dedicated area for pausing your automation on specific calendar dates.

How to Configure Pause Dates in GoHighLevel

Inside the settings panel, you can define exact dates when the workflow should not process contacts. This configuration applies to the entire workflow, not just one action.

1. In the workflow Settings sidebar, scroll until you see the section for Pause Workflow on Certain Dates or similar wording.

2. Click the date field or calendar icon to open the date picker.

3. Select a date you want to use as a pause day. You can add multiple dates if necessary.

4. Confirm your selections so that each chosen day is added to the list of pause dates.

5. Click Save to apply your changes to the workflow settings.

Once saved, GoHighLevel will treat each specified date as a non-processing day for the workflow. Any actions that are scheduled to occur on these dates will be held and resumed based on the logic described below.

Editing or Removing Pause Dates in GoHighLevel

You can update your configuration at any time from the same settings panel.

• To edit a date, open the list, remove the old date, and add a new one using the calendar.

• To remove a date completely, click the delete or remove icon next to the entry.

Remember to save your changes, or the updated pause schedule will not take effect.

What Happens to Workflow Actions on Paused Dates

Understanding how GoHighLevel handles contacts during paused dates is essential to designing reliable automations. The pausing feature affects when actions are executed, but it does not permanently halt or cancel your workflow.

Delayed Actions in GoHighLevel During Paused Dates

When a workflow is configured with pause dates, GoHighLevel checks each action before executing it. If an action is scheduled to run on a date that has been marked as paused, the platform will delay that action until the next available, non-paused date.

Key points about delayed actions include:

• The contact remains in the workflow and is not removed from the automation.

• The action (such as sending an email or SMS) is held until the pause period ends.

• Once the next valid date arrives, GoHighLevel resumes processing the queued actions while respecting any additional delays or conditions in your workflow.

Trigger Behavior While GoHighLevel Workflow Is Paused

Even when specific dates are marked as paused, triggers can still fire and add contacts to the workflow. GoHighLevel does not stop triggers from enrolling new contacts; instead, it controls when those contacts move through the actions within the automation.

For example:

• A form submission trigger can still enroll a contact on a paused date.

• The contact will enter the workflow and move forward only when the system reaches an action step that would run on a paused date.

• At that point, the automation holds the action and resumes it on the next allowed date.

This behavior ensures that data capture and trigger logic keep functioning without sending messages or performing actions that conflict with your blackout schedule.

Best Practices for Using GoHighLevel Pause Dates

To get the most out of the pause feature in GoHighLevel, keep these practical tips in mind:

• Plan holidays in advance: At the beginning of the year, add major holidays and internal events to your workflow settings.

• Align pause dates with campaign goals: For time-limited offers or launches, avoid setting pause dates that would interrupt critical follow-ups unless absolutely necessary.

• Test with a sample contact: Before a key season, run a test contact through the workflow and confirm that scheduled actions respect your chosen pause dates.

• Document your rules: Keep internal documentation or a project in your task manager that lists which workflows in GoHighLevel use pause dates, so your team knows what to expect.

Example Workflow Scenario in GoHighLevel

Imagine you are running a multi-day nurture sequence and want to stop all communication on a national holiday.

1. Create or open your existing nurture workflow in GoHighLevel.

2. In Settings, add the holiday date as a pause day.

3. Ensure that your email or SMS steps are scheduled relative to the enrollment date (for example, one day delay between each step).

4. If a contact enters the workflow on a date that causes an action to fall on the holiday, that specific action will wait until the next business day after the pause date.

This setup allows you to keep enrollment continuous while ensuring that no messages are sent during the holiday itself.

Learn More and Related Resources

For the original reference material about pausing automations on specific dates, you can review the official GoHighLevel support article here: Pause workflows on certain dates.

If you want expert help designing advanced workflow logic, data flows, or optimization strategies that connect GoHighLevel with the rest of your marketing stack, you can explore consulting services at Consultevo.

Summary: Controlling Automation Timing in GoHighLevel

Using date-based pauses in GoHighLevel gives you precise control over when workflow actions are executed. By configuring pause dates in the workflow settings, you can ensure that contacts are never sent messages on days that conflict with holidays or blackout periods. Actions are simply delayed until the next available date, while triggers continue to enroll contacts as normal. With thoughtful planning, this feature helps you maintain consistent, respectful communication without constantly turning workflows on and off.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your GHL , work with ConsultEvo — trusted GoHighLevel Partners.

Scale GoHighLevel

“`