> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.get2dial.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Start, pause, and stop a campaign

> Control a campaign's dialing with Start, Pause, and Delete, and understand what each does to in-progress leads.

Control whether a campaign is actively dialing.

## Before you start

* You need a [campaign](/outbound/campaigns/create-a-campaign) with
  [leads imported](/outbound/leads/import-a-lead-list) and
  [agents assigned](/outbound/campaigns/assign-agents).

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Campaigns">
    In the left navigation, select **Campaigns**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start a draft or paused campaign">
    Select the **Start** (play) button on the campaign's row. Its status changes to
    **Running** and the pacer begins dialing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pause a running campaign">
    Select the **Pause** button on the campaign's row. Its status changes to **Paused** —
    in-progress calls finish, but no new calls are placed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Delete a draft or paused campaign">
    Select the **Delete** button. This is only available for campaigns that are **Draft** or
    **Paused** — a running campaign must be paused first.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You can also select multiple campaigns and use the bulk **Start** or **Pause** actions above
the list.

## Verify

<Check>
  The campaign's **Status** badge shows the state you set: **Running**, **Paused**, or the
  campaign is removed from the list after deletion.
</Check>

## Common problems

* **Delete is disabled.** The campaign is running — pause it first.
* **Start does nothing visible.** Confirm it has leads and at least one assigned, available
  agent — see [Why my campaign is not dialing](/troubleshooting/campaign-not-dialing).

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Metric definitions" href="/reference/metric-definitions" />

  <Card title="Why my campaign is not dialing" href="/troubleshooting/campaign-not-dialing" />
</CardGroup>