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

# Activate or deactivate a WhatsApp channel

> Pause or resume a BluBash channel without deleting it — useful for maintenance windows, team unavailability, or operational breaks.

You can temporarily stop a channel from receiving messages by deactivating it, then resume it whenever you are ready. This is useful for planned maintenance, team absences, or any situation where you want to pause incoming traffic without losing the channel's configuration.

## Activate a channel

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the channel">
    * In the left sidebar, click **Channels**.
    * Click the channel you want to activate.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the status toggle">
    On the channel detail page, locate the toggle switch showing the current status. If the channel is inactive, the toggle is in the off position.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn the channel on">
    Click the toggle to activate the channel. The status changes to **Active** and the channel immediately begins receiving messages again.

    <Info>
      When a channel is activated, it starts receiving messages right away. Make sure the default team is ready to handle incoming conversations.
    </Info>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Deactivate a channel

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the channel">
    * In the left sidebar, click **Channels**.
    * Click the channel you want to deactivate.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn the channel off">
    On the channel detail page, click the status toggle to deactivate the channel. The status changes to **Inactive** and the channel stops accepting new messages.

    <Warning>
      When you deactivate a channel:

      * New inbound messages are not received.
      * Existing conversations remain accessible, but customers cannot send new messages through this channel.
      * Customers may receive an error or no response when they attempt to contact you.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Reading status in the channels list

The channels list gives you a quick overview of every channel's state:

| Status       | Indicator | Meaning                                          |
| ------------ | --------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| **Active**   | Green     | Channel is connected and receiving messages.     |
| **Inactive** | Gray      | Channel is paused; no new messages are received. |

<Tip>
  Use deactivation to pause channels during maintenance or when a team is unavailable, rather than deleting the channel. This preserves all configuration so you can reactivate it later without any additional setup.
</Tip>