Statuses in eCourtDate let you automatically disable outbound messages for specific records, giving your agency precise control over which clients receive automated communications.

### Overview

- **What it is:** A status-based setting that automatically prevents outbound Flow and Auto Messages from being sent to records (events, clients, payments, cases) that carry a designated status
- **Why it matters:** Ensures your agency does not send reminders or notifications for canceled, closed, or otherwise inactive records, maintaining communication accuracy and compliance
- **Who uses it:** Agency administrators and staff responsible for managing messaging rules and status workflows
- **Expected outcomes:** Records with a message-disabling status stop receiving automated messages without requiring changes to individual Flows or Auto Messages

### Prerequisites

- You must have admin access or appropriate permissions to manage statuses
- You must be signed into your eCourtDate staging or production agency
- You should know which statuses need to disable messages (for example, "Canceled" or "Closed")

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Navigate to Statuses

1. Click **Admin** > **Settings** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the **Statuses** tab.

#### Step 2: Create or Edit a Status

1. Click **Edit** on an existing status, or use the **Create** form to add a new one.
2. Enter the status name if creating a new status (for example, "Canceled").

#### Step 3: Enable the Disable Messages Setting

1. Click to enable the **Disable Messages** toggle.
2. Click **Save** to apply your changes.

> **Tip:** This setting applies regardless of the assigned Flow, so you do not need to make changes at the Flow level.

### What to Expect

After enabling **Disable Messages** on a status:

- Any records (events, clients, payments) with that status display a **Messages Disabled** alert.
- Any newly created or updated records with that status automatically have their Flow and Auto Messages disabled.

The following messages may still be sent even when messages are disabled:

- Manual one-off messages sent by staff
- Manual bulk action messages sent by staff
- Auto-responses triggered by an inbound message from the client or contact
- Auto Messages that are triggered based on the same status and have the **Ignore Messages Disabled** setting turned on

#### Applying Changes to Existing Records

To apply the disabling change to existing events that already have scheduled messages:

**By Flow:** Navigate to **Admin** > **Messaging** > **Flows** tab. Click to edit the Flow, click the **Tools** button, then click the **Sync Messages** button.

**All Future Events:** Use the Console Tools to run **Sync Messages for Future Events**. See [How to Run Console Tools](/how-to-run-console-tools) for details.

### Applicable Fields

Custom statuses with the **Disable Messages** setting apply to the following fields:

| Data Model | Fields |
|------------|--------|
| Clients | Status, Type, Group |
| Events | Status, Type, Appearance |
| Payments | Status, Type |

### Best Practices

- Test the status change on your staging environment before applying it to production
- Coordinate with your team before enabling **Disable Messages** on widely used statuses
- Use the **Sync Messages** tool after making changes so existing scheduled messages are updated
- Review your active Flows periodically to ensure message-disabling statuses align with your current workflow
- Document which statuses disable messages so all staff members are aware of the behavior

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Will disabling messages on a status affect messages that are already scheduled?**
A: No. Previously scheduled messages are not automatically canceled. You must run the **Sync Messages** tool (by Flow or for all future events) to update existing scheduled messages.

**Q: Can I still send manual messages to records with a message-disabling status?**
A: Yes. Manual one-off messages and manual bulk action messages can still be sent regardless of the status setting.

**Q: What if I need an Auto Message to fire even when messages are disabled?**
A: Enable the **Ignore Messages Disabled** setting on the specific Auto Message. This allows that Auto Message to send even when the record's status would otherwise disable it.

**Q: Does this setting apply to cases?**
A: The **Disable Messages** setting applies to Clients, Events, and Payments. Cases do not currently have direct message-disabling support through statuses.

### Other Ways to Disable Outbound Messages

- **Archived or trashed records** automatically disable scheduled messages
- **Locations Auto-Disable Messages** setting disables messages based on the assigned location
- **Enabled Statuses** setting on each Flow message enables messages only for records with specific statuses

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** Messages are still being sent to records with a message-disabling status.
**Symptoms:** Clients continue receiving automated messages even though their record status has **Disable Messages** enabled.
**Solution:**

1. Verify the status has **Disable Messages** enabled under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Statuses**
2. Run **Sync Messages** for the affected Flow or use the Console Tools to sync messages for all future events
3. Confirm the record's status field matches the exact status with the disabled setting

**Issue:** All messages stopped, including ones that should still send.
**Symptoms:** No automated messages are going out for any status.
**Solution:**

1. Check that only the intended statuses have **Disable Messages** enabled
2. Review the **Enabled Statuses** settings on your Flow messages
3. Verify your agency send mode is set to **Live** in the footer of the app

> **Important:** If you continue to experience issues after following these troubleshooting steps, sign in to eCourtDate and create a ticket by clicking the ticket button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

### Related Articles

- [How to Send a Mass Message using Bulk Actions](/how-to-send-a-mass-message-using-bulk-actions)
- [How to Send a One-off Message](/how-to-send-a-one-off-message)
- [How to Create Locations](/how-to-create-locations)
- [How to Create an Auto Message](/how-to-create-an-auto-message)
- [How to Create a Flow](/how-to-create-a-flow)
- [Troubleshooting Automated Messages](/troubleshooting-automated-messages)