Blog · Automation · Updated · By the FitMySaaS team
Zap keeps turning off? Why Zapier pauses Zaps and how to fix it
Short answer: Zapier turns a Zap off automatically when it errors every time it runs. Separately, it puts runs on hold when an app connection expires, you hit your task limit, your plan changes or a trial ends. The fix is usually to reconnect the app, fix the failing step, turn the Zap back on and replay held runs. Replays use tasks again.
Why does Zapier turn a Zap off by itself?
Zapier's run status guide says it plainly: if a Zap errors repeatedly each time it runs, it will automatically turn off.
There is a second, quieter state called On hold. A held run is waiting for a problem to be fixed, and Zapier keeps its trigger data. The same guide lists the usual causes:
- A disconnected app account
- Going over your task limit
- A plan change
- An ended trial
- An app access policy blocking the connection
From the outside, both look the same: the work stopped happening.
How do you find out why your Zap stopped?
- Open the Alerts page. It shows every Zap that had issues in the last 7 days, and you can widen the filter to 30 days. Disconnected apps always show as Critical, per Zapier's Alerts article.
- Open Zap History for that Zap. Look at the status of recent runs: Errored, On hold, Filtered or Safely halted. Click into an errored run to see which step failed and the error message.
- Check App Connections. An expired connection shows an icon next to it on the App Connections page.
- Check Billing and usage. If you are at 3x your task limit, Zaps pause until the next cycle, per Zapier's pricing page.
What are the common causes and fixes?
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Zap is Off, recent runs Errored | Same step failing every run | Fix the step (missing field, changed form, deleted record), then turn the Zap on |
| Runs On hold, app shows expired | App login expired or password changed | Reconnect the app on the App Connections page |
| Microsoft 365 steps keep failing | Microsoft token expired | Reconnect; it expires after 14 days unused, 90 days, or a password change |
| Runs On hold after a downgrade | Zap uses a paid feature you lost | Upgrade, or simplify the Zap to fit your plan |
| All Zaps paused late in the month | Task usage hit the 3x cap | Wait for the reset, upgrade, or cut task use |
| You can't see Reconnect | Connection belongs to a teammate | The owner reconnects, or you connect your own account |
The Microsoft token rules come from Zapier's Office 365 troubleshooting page. Zapier says there is no way around them.
How do you fix a Zap that keeps turning off?
- Find the failing step in Zap History and read the error.
- If it is a connection problem, go to App Connections and click Reconnect. Once reconnected, the account updates for every Zap that uses it, per Zapier's app connections guide.
- If it is a data problem, open the Zap, fix the step, and publish the change.
- Turn the Zap back on.
- Replay the runs that errored or were held. Free plans can only replay errored runs; replaying held runs needs a paid plan, per Zapier's replay guide.
Note that replayed steps count toward your task usage again, even if they were counted the first time.
How do you stop it happening again?
- Turn on Autoreplay. It retries steps that fail because of temporary errors or downtime. It is available on Professional, Team and Enterprise, not Free.
- Get alerts. Zapier emails your account address about errors by default, and you can switch to hourly summaries in notification settings. For faster alerts, the built-in Zapier Manager app has a New Zap Error trigger you can send to Slack, email or SMS. Zapier publishes a template that turns Zaps back on when they are deactivated, but turning a Zap on does not fix whatever broke it.
- Own connections as a team. Only the person who owns a connection can reconnect it. When that person leaves or changes a password, every Zap on that login can stop. Team plans include shared connections, per Zapier's pricing page. If you stop sharing a connection, published Zaps that rely on it pause.
- Write down what each Zap does. When a Zap breaks months after it was built, the slowest part is often working out what it was for.
What does maintaining Zaps actually cost?
The subscription is the visible cost. The hidden one is the person who checks alerts, reconnects accounts, fixes steps when a form or field changes, and replays runs. On most small teams that is an ops lead or a founder, and it is unplanned work that shows up at bad times.
Zaps are worth that upkeep when they connect a few stable tools and run without fuss. They are less worth it when you have dozens of them copying the same records between tools, because every tool change can break several Zaps at once.
Before adding another Zap, check whether the two apps integrate directly. Asana for Slack, for example, is a direct integration that needs no automation tool.
When one system makes more sense
If you spend part of every week keeping Zaps alive, count that time next to the subscriptions. When the same lead, ticket or project moves through four tools, putting it in one system removes the connections that break.
FitMySaaS builds that one system for teams of 10 to 40, and our guide to reducing SaaS costs covers cheaper fixes to try first. The SaaS cost calculator adds up what the tools themselves cost.
Questions
Will Zapier tell me when a Zap turns off?
By default Zapier emails your account address each time a Zap errors, and the Alerts page lists Zaps with issues. Make sure "Never" is not selected in your notification settings. For faster alerts, use the Zapier Manager New Zap Error trigger to post to Slack or send a text.
Is data lost when a Zap is on hold?
No. Held runs keep their trigger data and can be replayed from Zap History once the problem is fixed. Replays use tasks.
Why does my Microsoft or Outlook Zap keep disconnecting?
Microsoft expires the token Zapier uses if the account goes unused for two weeks, after 90 days, or when the password changes. You need to reconnect each time.
Can you stop a Zap from turning off automatically?
Not if it errors on every run. You can reduce the chance by adding error handling, turning on Autoreplay for temporary failures, and fixing the step that fails.