How to activate, deactivate, duplicate, and delete Automations after they've been created.
An Automation moves through a small set of states after creation. Each state matters: an inactive Automation won't fire, a deactivated one stops firing without losing its history, a duplicated one inherits its parent's notifications (whether you want it to or not), and a deleted one is permanently gone. Use the right operation for the program lifecycle you're managing.
For the strategic frame on Automations overall, see Automation Design Best Practices. For the full creation flow, see Creating an Automation.
Activate an Automation
After creating an Automation, you have to activate it before it can fire. This is the single most-missed step in Automation setup. Inactive Automations show a red dot under the Status column on the Automations page. The dot turns green once activated.
1. Open Automations. From the left-hand navigation, click Share, then Automations.
2. Activate. Click the Pencil icon next to the Automation, then click Activate. Status switches to active and the Automation will trigger for any users who meet the audience and criteria.
Deactivate an Automation
Deactivating stops the Automation from firing without deleting it. Existing assignments already created by the Automation remain in place for their learners. This is the right move for seasonal programs, Automations that pause between cycles, or any case where you want to preserve history rather than lose it.
1. Open Automations. From the left-hand navigation, click Share, then Automations.
2. Deactivate. Click the Pencil icon next to the Automation, then click Deactivate. Status switches to inactive and the Automation stops triggering for new users.
Duplicate an Automation
Duplicating creates a copy of an existing Automation. Useful when a new program has nearly the same trigger, content, and notifications as one you've already built — duplicate, then edit the differences.
1. Open Automations. From the left-hand navigation, click Share, then Automations.
2. Open the Pencil menu. Click the Pencil icon on the left side of the Automation name.
3. Duplicate. Click Duplicate to create a copy.
Important behavior: notifications stay linked to the original. When you duplicate, the new Automation's notifications point to the original Automation's notification definitions. Editing a notification on the duplicate updates the original too. To get fully independent notifications, recreate them on the duplicate from scratch.
Delete an Automation
Deleting permanently removes the Automation from Continu. Existing assignments already triggered by the Automation are preserved for the learners who received them, but the Automation itself is gone — you can't reactivate or reference it.
1. Open Automations. From the left-hand navigation, click Share, then Automations.
2. Delete. Click the Pencil icon next to the Automation, then click Delete. Confirm on the popup to permanently remove the Automation.
Configuration Pitfalls
Treating Activate as Optional. Continu doesn't auto-activate Automations on creation. If users aren't receiving assignments you expected, the Automation probably wasn't activated. Check Status first before troubleshooting trigger logic.
Deleting Instead of Deactivating. For programs that pause and resume (seasonal training, annual recerts), deactivate — don't delete. Deleting forces you to rebuild from scratch next cycle and loses any history of when learners last received the assignment.
Duplicating Without Updating Notifications. The shared-notification behavior on duplicates is intentional but surprising. If the new Automation needs different notifications, build them fresh on the duplicate rather than assuming editing the duplicate's notification won't affect the original.
Bulk-Deleting Old Automations Without Verifying Status. An Automation showing Inactive status might still have value as a record — confirm with the original program owner before deleting. The Inactive state is reversible; Delete is not.
Where This Fits
You're here because you're managing an Automation after creation. The creation flow itself lives in Creating an Automation. The trigger types and audience options live in Automation Audience Trigger Guide.
See Also
- Automation Design Best Practices — the strategic anchor.
- Automations — the section gateway.
- Creating an Automation — the full creation flow.
- Automation Audience Trigger Guide — every trigger and what it fires on.
- Groups Automations — Group-triggered Automations specifically.
Activate to fire. Deactivate to pause. Duplicate to reuse. Delete to remove permanently. The activate step is the one that catches everyone.