The pause & build plan lets you temporarily stop your regular subscription while continuing to build, customize, and improve your forum all at a reduced cost. It's ideal when you're not ready for a public launch or want to make significant changes without paying the full subscription fee. The plan costs $9 per month. Subscribing to a regular plan will automatically cancel the pause & build plan.

If you're on a long-term subscription (such as an annual plan), switching to the pause & build plan will automatically stop that subscription. A prorated credit for the unused portion of your original plan will be applied to future charges.

All of your forum content and configuration will be preserved. You can reactivate your full subscription at any time.

Switching to the pause & build plan

Before switching, keep the following in mind:

1. The forum will only be accessible to the owner and administrators.
2. This plan is only available with monthly billing.
3. All outstanding invoices must be paid before switching plans.
4. If you're on a long-term plan, it will automatically end and be replaced with the pause & build plan. A prorated credit will be applied to your account.
5. Your forum content and progress will not be lost.

To switch to the pause & build plan:

1. Log in to your Website Toolbox account.
2. Click your avatar image or the icon at the top-right of the screen.
3. Select Billing from the dropdown menu or go directly to /tool/members/billing.
4. In the Subscriptions section, click Manage next to your current plan.
5. Click Cancel Subscription.
6. Click Switch to Pause & Build and confirm the change.

Resuming a full subscription

When you're ready to reopen your forum to the public and resume full functionality, you'll need to switch back to a regular subscription plan.

To resume your regular plan:

1. Log in to your Website Toolbox account.
2. Click the avatar image or icon at the top-right of the page.
3. In the menu that opens, select the Billing link.
4. In the Subscriptions section, click the Manage link next to the service you would like to renew.
5. Click the Renew Subscription link.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your purchase.

Communicating with your users

Email users: Use this guide to send an email to forum members. Let them know about the pause and share your plans for updates or relaunch.

Update your forum header: Add a message that displays at the top of the login window by doing the following:

1. Log in to your Website Toolbox account.
2. Click the Integrate link in the main menu.
3. Click the HTML link.
4. Add the content in the Forum Header HTML Code text box.
5. Save your changes.