> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.c1.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Automation circuit breaker

> Set a rate limit on an automation to pause it automatically if it runs too many times within a set period.

The circuit breaker lets you set a rate limit on an individual automation. If the automation runs more than a configured number of times within a set period, C1 automatically pauses it — queuing new trigger events for review rather than running them immediately.

Automations triggered by directory or connector sync events — such as account status changes or group membership changes — are good candidates. These automations can fire at unexpectedly high volume during bulk imports, misconfigured rules, or data quality issues.

## Set up the circuit breaker

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Open the automation in the automation editor.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click the **⋯** menu in the header and select **Configure circuit breaker**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Toggle **Enabled** on.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Set a **Max executions** value and a **Period** (**Per hour**, **Per day**, **Per week**, or **Per month (30 days)**).
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click **Save**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## When the circuit breaker trips

When the automation exceeds its configured rate within the set period, C1 pauses it. An **Automation paused: too many executions** warning banner appears at the top of the automation's page. New trigger events continue to create paused executions that queue for review without running.

## Resolve a tripped circuit breaker

<Steps>
  <Step>
    On the automation's page, click **Review** in the warning banner.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Review the list of paused executions, then choose an action:

    * **Resume** — runs all queued executions and resets the circuit breaker. Use this when the original triggers were valid (for example, a legitimate large-scale offboarding).
    * **Cancel executions** — cancels all queued executions and resets the circuit breaker. You must enter a reason, which is recorded in the audit log. Use this when the triggers were caused by bad data (for example, a sync error that incorrectly changed user account statuses in bulk).
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Both **Resume** and **Cancel executions** reset the circuit breaker as part of the same action — no separate step is needed to re-enable the automation. If the automation was also manually paused before the circuit breaker tripped, you'll need to re-enable it separately after resolving.
</Note>

## How the time window works

The period is measured from the current moment, not from a fixed calendar boundary. For example, **Per day** means the past 24 hours, not the current calendar day. After you resolve a tripped circuit breaker, the window resets to the resolution time — so the original burst doesn't immediately re-trip it.