The fear that scheduled posts "go out anyway"
The strength of scheduled posts is that you can line up posts days ahead. But that strength turns into a weakness when something unplanned happens. If a post saying "Today only: sale!" goes out on schedule while news of a major earthquake or accident is spreading, it can look insensitive to readers even if the content itself is fine.
The same is true on a day when a defect in your own product or misconduct by an employee comes to light. If your usual cheerful post goes out before you've published an apology or explanation, it may be read as a slow response. At times like this, looking at the calendar and hunting down scheduled posts one by one is exactly where things get missed when you are flustered.
One button pauses every scheduled post for that company or brand
At the top right of the posts screen, next to the Week / Month / List switcher, open "⋯" and you will find "Pause all scheduled posts." Press it, a confirmation dialog appears, and "OK" pauses everything. What it pauses is the schedule of every account connected to that company or brand. X, Instagram and the rest all stop at once.
While paused, a red banner appears at the top of the posts screen showing since when it has been paused. The banner appears every time you open the posts screen, so you won't go for days forgetting that you paused.
If you have several companies or brands, only the one you have open is paused. Schedules for your other brands are not affected. How to split companies and brands is in Keeping Companies and Brands Separate.
While paused, and after you resume
While paused, posts are not published even when their scheduled time arrives. The schedule is kept as it is, not deleted. To resume, press "Resume" on the red banner.
When you resume, scheduled posts whose time has already passed are automatically returned to drafts. This keeps posts whose time came during the pause from all going out the moment you resume. Posts that went back to drafts carry a note saying "Time passed while scheduled posts were paused, so this was returned to a draft," so you can immediately tell which ones were returned. Schedule again only the ones you want to publish, with a new time. Scheduled posts whose time hasn't passed yet go out as planned.
| State of the scheduled post | While paused | When you resume |
|---|---|---|
| Time hasn't passed yet | Waits without going out | Stays scheduled and goes out as planned |
| Time passed during the pause | Waits without going out | Returns to a draft (with the reason shown) |
What the pause stops, and what it doesn't
"Pause all scheduled posts" is a button that stops posts from going out. While paused, Drafts from RSS also doesn't go to read your blog. Some automated actions, however, need to be stopped separately from this button.
| Action | Stopped by the pause? | How to stop it |
|---|---|---|
| Publishing scheduled posts | Stopped | This button |
| Creating drafts from RSS | Stopped | This button |
| Creating drafts for post cycles | Not stopped (drafts are created, but not published) | Stop it in the post cycle's settings |
| Auto replies | Not stopped | Turn off "Active" in the settings |
| Auto DMs | Not stopped | "Stop" in the settings |
In the middle of a PR crisis or a serious accident, you probably also want to avoid replies and DMs going out automatically. Once you've paused the schedule, review your auto reply and auto DM settings too. Deciding in advance what to stop keeps you calm. How to build a procedure for when this happens is covered in Preventing and Responding to Social Media Crises and How to Write Social Media Policies and Guidelines.
If you aren't sure whether to pause
It is safer to pause first and review the content afterward than to spend time deciding whether to pause. Pausing doesn't delete anything, and when you resume, scheduled posts whose time hasn't passed go out as they are, so what you lose by pausing is small. A post that has gone out, on the other hand, may remain on someone's screen or in a screenshot even after you delete it.
Before you resume, read through the upcoming scheduled posts one by one in the week view of the calendar and check that the wording is fine for the situation now. When in doubt, pause. Before resuming, read again. If you make these two a rule inside the company, the person in charge doesn't have to carry the decision alone.
Who can press it
People with the Viewer role cannot press "Pause all scheduled posts" or "Resume." Anyone who can create posts can, so even on a night or holiday when the person in charge can't be reached, whoever notices can stop it right away. How to divide roles is in Members and Roles.
When you review the contents of your schedule, the guides Viewing Posts on the Calendar and Editing a Scheduled Post are also helpful.
Frequently asked questions
Are my scheduled posts deleted when I pause?
No. The schedule stays as it is; posts just aren't published when their time arrives. When you resume, scheduled posts whose time hasn't passed go out as planned.
Can I pause just one account?
No. "Pause all scheduled posts" works at the level of a company or brand. If you want to stop only one account's schedule, return those scheduled posts to drafts one by one.
When I resume, will the posts from the pause all go out together?
No. Scheduled posts whose time passed during the pause go back to drafts when you resume. Re-enter a time and schedule only the ones you need.
Can I add new scheduled posts while paused?
Yes. But they won't go out at their time while paused. If their time passes before you resume, they return to drafts when you resume.
Are auto replies stopped too?
No. Operate "Active" for auto replies and "Stop" for auto DMs separately.
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