Learning Outcomes
Understand when and why TRAC automatically pauses inactive searches.
Know which actions count as activity on a search.
Learn how to keep a search active, and how to reactivate a paused one.
What is inactive search monitoring?
TRAC now keeps an eye on every search that is collecting data in real time. If the search has seen no activity for 60 days, TRAC will automatically pause it. Pausing stops new data from being collected, but everything the search has already gathered stays exactly where it is..
You'll always get two warning emails before anything is paused and another when the search is paused, so a search will never be switched off without notice.
📝 Note: Inactive search monitoring only applies to searches that are currently collecting data in real time. Searches you have already paused or archived are not affected.
Why does TRAC pause inactive searches?
It's common for a search to be set up for a campaign or short-term project and then forgotten once the work wraps up. Those searches keep collecting and processing data that nobody is looking at. Pausing them brings a few benefits:
Faster performance: platform resources go towards the searches you're actually using, which keeps TRAC quick for everyone.
A tidier search list: searches you've moved on from no longer sit alongside your active work.
A helpful nudge: the warning emails give you a natural moment to review which searches you still need.
What counts as activity?
Most everyday actions in TRAC count, so if you're using a search regularly you won't need to do anything. A search is considered active if any of the following happen:
Working in the search: opening and spending time in the search, editing it, applying a filter, or applying or deleting tags.
Starting and stopping: starting, stopping or pausing the search yourself.
Exporting and deleting: exporting results or a chart, or deleting results.
Historic data: previewing or ordering historics.
Alerts and digests: the search has an active email alert or digest, or anyone creates or updates one.
Reports: the search has an active scheduled report, anyone creates one, or anyone views or exports a custom report.
API access: the search is requested through the Pulsar API or STORY queries the search
Keep Active: someone clicks Keep Active in a warning email.
📝 Note: Because active email alerts, digests and scheduled reports all count as activity, a search that feeds a regular alert or report will keep running even if nobody opens it in TRAC.
How the 60-day timeline works
TRAC records the last time any activity happened on each search. Every time there is activity, the clock goes back to zero. If the clock keeps running, this is what happens:
Day 30: the search is marked as inactive in TRAC and the first warning email is sent.
Day 55: if there has still been no activity, a final warning email is sent.
Day 60: if there has still been no activity, the search is automatically paused.
Any activity before day 60 resets the clock to zero and removes the inactive status straight away.
Email Notifications
Warning emails are sent at day 30 and day 55 to the Search Creator or the last Search Editors. If the Search Creator has left your organisation or their account has been deactivated, the email goes to your Account Manager and Customer Success Manager.
Each search in the email has its own Keep Active button. Clicking it resets that search's clock to zero, so it carries on running as normal.
Spotting inactive searches in TRAC
You don't have to wait for an email to see which searches are at risk. On the All Searches page, any search that hasn't seen any activity will display a bade and the colour of the badge indicates the state. Below is a guide on how the bagdes for inactivity work on TRAC.
In addition to the badges, we've also introduced a new inactive filter that can be used to find all inactive a searches on TRAC.
What happens when a search is paused?
Data collection stops from the moment the search is paused.
Your existing data is kept. Nothing is deleted, and you can still open and analyze everything collected up to the pause.
Linked alerts and scheduled reports pause too, so you won't receive emails based on a search that is no longer collecting data.
Reactivating a paused search
You can bring a paused search back at any time, just follow the steps below:
Locate the search you want to reactivate
Head to Search Management > Status
Click Edit
Select Start
Once reactivated:
The search starts collecting data again from that moment onwards.
Any alerts or scheduled reports that were paused alongside it are switched back on automatically.
The 60-day clock starts again from zero.
📝 Note: Data from the period when the search was paused is not collected retrospectively. If you need to fill that gap, please speak to your Account Manager.
Frequently asked questions
Will pausing delete any of my data?
No. All data collected before the pause stays available in TRAC.
Is pausing the same as archiving?
No. A paused search stays in your active search list and simply stops collecting new data. Archiving moves a search out of your active list altogether. You can read more in TRAC: Archiving Searches.
I missed the warning emails. Can I get my search back?
Yes. Locate on the All Searches page and the search will start collecting data again straight away.
Can I exclude a search from inactivity monitoring myself?
Exclusions are managed by the Pulsar team. Get in touch with your Account Manager or our Support team and we'll help.
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