> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.assistable.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pause GHL chat for a contact

> Use ai_off for a manual pause and sleep mode for temporary human takeover.

For a GoHighLevel-connected contact, the exact tag `ai_off` blocks the automatic incoming-message routing check even when a matching Active Tag is present. Use it when your team wants to pause AI replies for that contact.

## Pause a contact

1. Open the contact in the connected GoHighLevel location.
2. Add the tag `ai_off` exactly as written.
3. Send a fresh test message from that contact.
4. Check that no new automatic reply is generated for the test message.

This tag is checked as incoming messages are processed. It is not a recall mechanism for a message already sent, and it should not be treated as guaranteed cancellation of work already in progress. Review the latest conversation before sending a human response.

## Resume automatic replies

1. Remove `ai_off` from the contact.
2. Confirm the contact still has the intended matching Active Tag.
3. Check that the assistant is enabled, the channel is allowed, and no sleep or human-takeover pause remains.
4. Send a new message and verify the delivered response.

Removing the tag does not necessarily replay messages that were skipped during the pause.

## Use a timed pause

For routine human takeover, open the assistant's **Chat Settings** and enable **Sleep mode**. Set **Sleep duration** and decide whether **Sleep on workflow messages** should be enabled.

| Sleep setting | Default and behavior |
| - | - |
| Sleep mode | Off. When enabled, a team message pauses automatic AI replies. |
| Sleep duration | 30 minutes initially; minimum 1 minute. Counted from the message that starts the pause; a new contact reply does not extend it. |
| Sleep on workflow messages | On initially. When off, GHL workflow messages do not trigger the pause; human messages still do. |

The sleep window is separate from `ai_off`. Removing the tag does not automatically clear a still-active timed pause. Likewise, a sleep window ending does not remove `ai_off`.

## Voice is a separate route

The contact tag does not itself disconnect a live call or universally block outbound calling. If a workflow should avoid calling paused contacts, add and test an explicit eligibility condition in that workflow before it starts a call.

See [GHL chat setup](/v3/guides/chat/activate-ghl-chat) for routing and [AI Replying](/v3/guides/chat/replying-indicator) for in-progress diagnosis.


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