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Start or Stop an Agent
Pause, resume, or gracefully restart an agent without losing queued tasks.
3 min read9,100 viewsUpdated 2026-02-18
NovaGuide Assistant
In this article you'll learn about Purpose, then explore Step-by-step, and finally review Action matrix.
Purpose
Pausing an agent queues all incoming tasks without losing them. Resuming picks up where it left off. Use this for maintenance windows, cost control, or when you temporarily don't need the agent.
Step-by-step
To pause:
- Go to Agents dashboard
- Click the ⏸ Pause button on the agent card (or right-click → Pause)
- Confirm in the dialog
To resume:
- Click the ▶ Resume button on the paused agent card
- The agent returns to IDLE and begins processing queued tasks
To restart:
- Click ⟳ Restart on any active or idle agent
- The agent gracefully finishes its current task, then restarts
Paused agents still count toward your headcount for billing. To stop billing entirely, you must Fire the agent.
Action matrix
| Current Status | Pause | Resume | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVE | ✅ (after current task) | — | ✅ |
| IDLE | ✅ | — | ✅ |
| PAUSED | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| RECOVERING | — | — | ✅ (force) |
| OFFLINE | — | — | ❌ (must re-hire) |
startstoppauseresume
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