This article explains why a prospect may appear as “Paused” in Interceptly and what that status means for your campaign.
A paused prospect is not an error. Interceptly pauses prospects to prevent duplicate outreach, failed message sends, or automated messages being sent at the wrong time.
This article is written for Interceptly administrators, sales reps, and campaign managers.
Most Common Reasons for Prospects Marked as Paused
Below are the most common reasons a prospect is automatically or manually paused in Interceptly.
1. Attempt to send a Social InMail to an already messaged prospect
Social InMails can only be sent to prospects you have never contacted before on the social platform.
If a conversation already exists:
Interceptly pauses the prospect.
The InMail is not sent.
This prevents invalid or duplicate outreach.
2. Social message failed to send
Sometimes a social message fails due to temporary issues on the social platform.
When this happens:
Interceptly pauses the prospect.
No additional messages are sent automatically.
💡 If you suspect a platform issue, contact us on Live Chat so we can confirm the cause.
3. Email failed to send
Email providers can occasionally block or fail to deliver messages.
If an email does not send:
Interceptly pauses the prospect.
Outreach stops until the issue is reviewed.
Contact us via Live Chat so we can help troubleshoot delivery issues or advise on next steps.
4. Recontact Prospects was turned off
When creating a campaign, the “Recontact Prospects” setting controls whether Interceptly can message prospects you have contacted before.
If this setting is turned 'off' then:
Previously contacted prospects are paused.
Duplicate outreach is prevented automatically.
5. Prospect was moved to another campaign
If you or a teammate moved the prospect to a different campaign:
The prospect is paused in the original campaign.
The prospect is included only in the new campaign.
This ensures a prospect is not active in multiple campaigns at the same time.
6. Prospect was manually paused
Prospects can be manually paused from:
The prospect details from the info in the Inbox.
The Prospects tab inside a campaign.
To resume outreach from the Inbox:
Open the prospect record.
Select the paused status.
Select “Resume”.
7. Prospect replied
Any reply automatically pauses the prospect, including:
Social platform replies.
Email replies.
This prevents automated messages from sending after a real conversation begins.
🎓 Note: Interceptly will never continue automation after a reply without your approval.
8. Prospect booked a call
If a prospect books a meeting through Calendly and you have the Calendly integration active, then the prospect is paused.
Interceptly automatically pauses the prospect.
No further automated messages are sent.
Best Practices
Review paused prospects regularly.
Checking paused prospects helps you understand campaign behaviour and identify real buying intent.
Use replies as a signal.
A paused prospect due to a reply or booking is a positive outcome, not a problem.
Avoid manually resuming prospects who have replied or booked a call.
This can result in poor prospect experience and duplicate messaging.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why does Interceptly pause prospects automatically?
A: Interceptly pauses prospects to protect deliverability, prevent duplicate outreach, and ensure automation stops when human interaction begins.
Q: Can I resume a paused prospect?
A: Yes. If the prospect was manually paused or paused due to a failed send, you can open the prospect record and select “Resume”.
Q: Should I resume a prospect who replied?
A: Normally, once a prospect replies, automation should remain paused so you can respond manually.
🚀Success! You now understand why a prospect may be marked as paused in Interceptly and how to identify the exact cause.