---
title: "Run and pause the watcher | Grafana Labs"
description: "Trigger Run now and learn how to pause the watcher's automatic runs."
---

> For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

# Run and pause the watcher

When calibration succeeds, the watcher starts running on its own at the interval you set in **Repeats**. **Next run** and **Cadence** at the top of the watcher’s page show when it runs next and how often.

**Run now** adds one extra run right away, so you don’t have to wait for the next automatic run. The **Active** switch at the top of the page turns the automatic runs on and off. Turning it off pauses the watcher without deleting it.

Runs don’t overlap. If a run is already in progress, the next one waits or is skipped.

If you left your watcher’s page, the first steps take you back.

To run the watcher, complete the following steps:

1. Open **Watchers**.
2. In the Watchers list, click your watcher’s name.
3. Click **Run now**.
4. Optional: Turn off the **Active** switch, to the left of **Run now**.
   
   This pauses the automatic runs without deleting the watcher.
5. Optional: Turn the **Active** switch back on.
   
   The watcher keeps running on its schedule.

You triggered **Run now**, and the new run appears at the top of the **Run history** tab. You also know how to pause the automatic runs. In the next milestone, you’ll review the run report.

* * *

### More to explore (optional)

- [Run and manage watchers](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/platform/grafana-assistant/platform/watchers/#run-and-manage-watchers)

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Explore the following troubleshooting topics if you need help:

[Run and manage watchers](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana-cloud/platform/grafana-assistant/platform/watchers/#run-and-manage-watchers)

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