Limits on systems: what can pause, hold or delay their work

Every limit an ongoing system runs under — the platform's rules, your plan's allowances and the numbers you approved — with what each rule is, why it exists, what happens when it is reached, how to get going again, and where you can see how close a system is.

Updated October 6, 2026

A system is a set of parts the AI assistant runs for you without asking each time: finding leads, sending first emails and follow-ups, sorting replies, reporting. It works inside a standing approval you gave it, and inside limits. Some limits come from the platform and are the same for every system, some come with your plan, and some are the numbers you approved for that one system. A limit can pause a system's work, hold a message, delay it or skip it. This article lists every one: the rule, why it exists, what happens when it is reached, how to get going again, and who sets it.

Where do I see a system's limits?

Before you approve it. The system's card has a Limits section: the platform's rules, what comes with your plan, then the system's own numbers, one line each. Open a rule to see why it exists, what happens when it is reached, how to continue and who sets it. If the system's own numbers can't work under a limit — for example more emails a day than the platform's daily allowance — the card warns you, with the real numbers. It also warns you when a new system would be paused as soon as it starts: a spam complaint is already on record, or the emails from your own mailbox are already over the bounce limit.
While it runs. Open Tasks, choose Systems and open the system. Limits lists every limit with its numbers right now and a status in words: OK, Heading for it or Reached. The ones that need a look come first. In the list of systems, a system shows a badge when one of its limits is heading for its line or has been reached.
Before a limit is hit. When a system is heading for a limit — its first emails are bouncing, most of its AI budget is used, its end date is a week away — you get a notification and a note in your conversation with the assistant, once: the numbers, what will happen and when, why the limit exists, and what would help.
When a limit is hit. The notice says what happened with the numbers, why the limit exists and how to continue. When sending is paused it also goes out as an urgent owner alert.
In reports. A system's digest or scorecard has a Limits line whenever one of its limits is heading for its line or has been reached.
Ask. "Why is sending paused?" or "why is there a 3% limit?" — the assistant answers from the same information.

Which rules are the same for every system?

These come from the platform. They protect the email and texting that every business on Interdatum shares, so a system can't loosen them.

Bounce limit

Sending pauses if more than 3% of a system's emails bounce within 7 days — counted once 20 have gone out.

Why: Campaign email from every business on the platform — and the sign-up, password-reset and invoice emails — goes out through one email service, which pauses an account once more than 4% of its emails bounce: one sender with a bad list could stop email for everyone, their own included. Inbox providers also send mail from high-bounce senders to spam; 3% leaves a margin under 4%.
What counts: the system's campaign emails sent through Interdatum's sender, plus every email sent from your own mailbox to people found online (first emails and follow-ups, whoever sent them) — over the last 7 days, or since you last resumed sending.
When it's reached: All of the system's sending stops — its campaigns, scheduled emails and texts, and automations — and you get an alert. Anything it then wants to send comes to you as a card; finding leads, reports and other work that contacts nobody keeps running.
To continue: Remove or correct the addresses that bounced, then press “Resume sending” on the system's page (Tasks → Systems) or tell the assistant “resume sending”. The count starts fresh from that moment.
Who sets it: Platform rule, the same for every system. A system can set a lower limit (0.5%–3%), never a higher one.
Good to know: With these numbers, one bounce among a system's first 20 emails is already over the limit (1 of 20 is 5%), so sending pauses when the 20th goes out. You're warned ahead of that: once 10 emails have gone out with a bounce among them, or 5 with two.

Spam complaints

Sending pauses as soon as anyone reports an email from your business as spam.

Why: The email service every business here sends through pauses an account once more than 0.08% of its emails are reported as spam — fewer than 1 in 1,000. A single complaint already matters, and a paused account would stop email for everyone, yours included.
What counts: a report with the inbox's spam button or a reply that calls the email spam, about any of your business's email in the last 30 days — or since you last resumed sending.
When it's reached: All of the system's sending stops — its campaigns, scheduled emails and texts, and automations — and you get an alert. Anything it then wants to send comes to you as a card; finding leads, reports and other work that contacts nobody keeps running.
To continue: The person who complained is already unsubscribed. Look at who that email went to and what it said, change it, then press “Resume sending” on the system's page (Tasks → Systems) or tell the assistant “resume sending”.
Who sets it: Platform rule, the same for every system. It can't be changed.

The platform's daily email allowance

Campaign and follow-up emails from every business on the platform share one daily allowance; when today's is used, yours wait for the daily reset.

Why: All of the platform's email goes out through one account with a daily sending quota. Holding campaign email to its share keeps room for the emails that can't wait — sign-ups, password resets, invoices — for every business, yours included.
What counts: campaign and follow-up emails sent through Interdatum's sender, from all businesses together. First-contact emails that go out from your own mailbox don't count, and replies and one-off emails aren't held back by it.
When it's reached: Nothing is lost: campaign and follow-up emails that are due stay in the queue and go out after the reset.
To continue: Nothing to do — they go out on their own. To avoid the wait, keep the system's emails a day under the allowance.
Who sets it: Platform rule, the same for every business. It can't be changed from a system.
Good to know: A system's page and its card show the allowance as a number when the platform is on one. When it isn't, this limit isn't listed for the system.

First-contact emails from your own mailbox

First-contact emails that go out from your own mailbox are paced: a daily number that starts low and grows as the mailbox keeps sending, in business hours, with a gap between emails.

Why: A mailbox that suddenly sends a burst of email to people it has never written to gets flagged by inbox providers, and then its mail — your everyday email too — lands in spam. Starting low, keeping to business hours and spacing emails out keeps it in good standing.
When it's reached: Emails over today's number, or outside those hours, stay in the queue and go out when the next window opens.
To continue: Nothing to do — they go out on their own, and the daily number grows as the mailbox keeps sending.
Who sets it: Platform rule, the same for every business. It can't be changed from a system.
Good to know: This applies when first-contact emails are sent from your connected mailbox. The system's card and page show the day's number and the hours.

Which limits come with my plan?

The AI allowances of your plan are shared by everything in your business that uses AI, and its texting by everything that texts. See AI usage limits by plan for the AI amounts.

Assistant replies in your plan

Each run of one of a system's parts uses one of your plan's monthly assistant replies; when they're used up, runs are skipped until the 1st of the next month.

Why: AI runs cost money each time, so every plan includes a set number a month — the same allowance your own chats with the assistant draw on.
When it's reached: Runs are skipped until the allowance starts again. What a skipped run would have handled isn't handled — when a customer's message is waiting, you're told so you can answer it yourself.
To continue: It starts again on the 1st of each month. A higher plan includes more (Settings → Billing).
Who sets it: Comes with your plan — the same for every system in your business.

Background tasks in your plan

Parts that run as background tasks (lead research, longer jobs) share your plan's monthly budget for background tasks, and each task stops at its own cap; when the month's budget is used up, they can't start until the 1st of the next month.

Why: Background tasks are the most expensive kind of AI work — many steps, sometimes web searches — so every plan includes a set budget for them, and the cap per task keeps one task from using it all.
What counts: the cost of every background task in your business this month, whichever system or person started it.
When it's reached: A part that runs as a background task doesn't start, and the system's feed says so. A task that reaches its own cap stops and reports what it had found.
To continue: It starts again on the 1st of each month. A higher plan includes more (Settings → Billing).
Who sets it: Comes with your plan — the same for every system in your business.

Texting from your business number

Texts go out from your business number: at most a set number in any 24 hours for the whole business, and only while texting is available on your plan (an active plan, payments up to date, under your overage spending cap).

Why: Phone carriers block numbers that send bursts of texts, and every text costs money: the 24-hour number protects your business number, and the spending cap protects your bill.
What counts: every text sent from your business number in the last 24 hours — by you, your team, automations and every system.
When it's reached: A text that can't go out isn't sent: a single text fails and the system's feed says why; a text campaign stops there and says how many went out.
To continue: The 24-hour count frees up on its own. For a higher number write to [email protected]; the spending cap is raised under Settings → Billing.
Who sets it: The 24-hour number is set by the platform for every business; the plan and the spending cap are yours (Settings → Billing).
Good to know: This is listed for a system that sends texts. The limits of calls and texts on each plan are in Usage, overage, and your spending cap.

Which limits did I approve for the system?

These are part of the system itself. They are on the card you confirmed, and changing any of them is a change to the system that needs your OK.

The daily numbers and the number for one run

Each of these is a limit of its own on the system's page, with how much of it is used today.

Limit	The rule
Actions in one run	At most the approved number of actions in one run.
Actions a day	At most the approved number of actions a day on its own.
Emails a day	At most the approved number of emails a day.
First-contact emails a day	At most the approved number of first-contact emails a day (to people found online who haven't heard from you yet).
Texts a day	At most the approved number of texts a day.
New leads a day	At most the approved number of new leads a day.

Why: These are the numbers you approved when you started the system: they keep a day's work — and a day's mistakes — to a size you agreed to. The number for one run is separate: It keeps one run — one pass of one part — from doing a whole day's work at once if it misreads the situation.
When it's reached: For emails, first-contact emails and texts: A scheduled step that doesn't fit in what's left today moves to the next weekday morning; anything else over the number comes to you as a card instead of being done on its own. For actions and new leads: What is over the number comes to you as a card instead of being done on its own. For the number in one run: In that run, what is over the number comes to you as a card instead of being done on its own.
To continue: For emails, first-contact emails and texts: Nothing to do for a step that moved: it runs on its own the next weekday morning. Confirm a card to let that one through today. To raise the number, tell the assistant (for example “make it 25 a day”); you approve the change. For actions and new leads: Confirm the card to let that one through, or wait — the count starts again tomorrow. To raise the number, tell the assistant (for example “make it 25 a day”); you approve the change. For the number in one run: Confirm the cards to let those through. To raise the number, tell the assistant (for example “let it do 40 in one run”); you approve the change.
Who sets it: Set for this system and approved by you. Changing it needs your OK.
What counts: for the two email numbers, emails as the system hands them off for sending. One that then has to wait — for the mailbox's daily number, the platform's allowance or a pause — goes out later, on top of that day's number.
Good to know: A system that reaches its daily number every day is working as designed. The feed has a line each time a step moves; you get a notice about it at most once a week.

AI budget

At most the approved amount of AI a month; when it's used up the system pauses.

Why: Every run costs a little AI money. The budget is the most you agreed this system may spend in a month, so a part that runs more often than expected can't run up a bill.
What counts: the AI cost of this system's runs, background tasks and report summaries this month. It also counts toward your plan's AI allowance.
When it's reached: The whole system pauses — nothing runs and nothing goes out — and you're told.
To continue: Raise the budget (tell the assistant, for example “raise the budget to US$20”; you approve the change) and resume the system on its page — or resume it after the 1st, when the month starts again.
Who sets it: Set for this system and approved by you (US$0.25–US$100.00 a month). Changing it needs your OK.
Good to know: You're warned when 80% of the month's budget is used.

Runs a day of a part that reacts to events

A part that runs when something happens (a reply, a new job) runs at most a set number of times a day.

Why: A part that runs every time something happens could run hundreds of times if that suddenly happens a lot — a burst of replies, a loop between two mailboxes. The daily number keeps that bounded.
When it's reached: For the rest of the day, what comes in for that part isn't handled by it; you're told once so you can deal with those yourself.
To continue: It starts again tomorrow. To raise the number, tell the assistant (for example “let it run 100 times a day”); you approve the change.
Who sets it: Set for this system and approved by you. Changing it needs your OK.

End date

Runs until the end date you approved, then stops.

Why: A standing approval shouldn't run unattended forever: the end date makes sure you look at the system again and decide whether it should keep going.
When it's reached: The system stops for good: its schedules are cancelled and nothing more runs or goes out.
To continue: A system that is still running can be extended: tell the assistant how long it should keep going (for example “extend it by three months”); you approve the change. One that has stopped can't be restarted — ask the assistant to set it up again.
Who sets it: Set for this system and approved by you (at most a year ahead). Changing it needs your OK.
Good to know: You're warned a week before the end date.

What it may do on its own

Anything outside what it may do on its own — another kind of action, someone outside its audience — comes to you as a card and waits for your OK.

Why: A standing approval is only safe while it is narrow: the system can't widen it itself, and nothing written in an email, a text or the AI's own output can either.
When it's reached: The action isn't done. It waits under “Needs your OK” on the system's page and in your conversation with the assistant. Changing the system itself, deleting records, payments, invoices, team, billing and settings always need you.
To continue: Confirm or cancel the card. To let the system do that kind of thing on its own from now on, tell the assistant; you approve the change.
Who sets it: Set for this system and approved by you. Widening it needs your OK.

Which rules apply to every message?

These are always on. They aren't used up: each one applies to every single email or text a system wants to send.

Unsubscribes and opt-outs

Anyone who unsubscribes, asks in a reply to be removed, or texts STOP isn't contacted again; emails already queued for them are cancelled.

Why: Canada's anti-spam law (CASL) requires it, and writing to someone who opted out is the fastest way to be reported as spam.
When it's reached: That person is left out. Everyone else still gets theirs.
To continue: Nothing to do. Only they can opt back in.
Who sets it: Always on, for every business. It can't be turned off.

Every marketing email says who it's from

Every campaign and first-contact email carries your business name, your mailing address and a one-click unsubscribe link; with no mailing address on file, none is sent.

Why: CASL requires a marketing email to say who sent it and to offer a working way out.
When it's reached: Campaign and first-contact emails aren't sent until there is a mailing address.
To continue: Add your business mailing address under Settings → Business.
Who sets it: Always on, for every business. It can't be turned off.

Leads found online are never texted

A lead found online — on a website or a public listing — can be emailed or called, but is never texted.

Why: A phone number someone published isn't permission to text it: CASL covers texts too.
When it's reached: Those people are left out of text campaigns, and a single text to one of them comes to you as a card instead of being sent.
To continue: Call or email them instead. Once they are a client of yours, they can be texted.
Who sets it: Always on, for every business. It can't be turned off.

Texting hours

A text to one person goes out on its own only between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM, your time.

Why: A text at night reads as an intrusion, and it is what gets a number reported.
When it's reached: A text the system wants to send outside those hours comes to you as a card instead of being sent.
To continue: Confirm the card to send it anyway, or leave it for the morning.
Who sets it: Always on, for every business. It can't be turned off.

Final check on every message

Every email and text is checked right before it goes out; one with a broken merge that can't be fixed safely — a missing name inside a sentence, an unfilled placeholder — is held, not sent.

Why: A message with a hole in it does more harm than one that arrives a day late.
When it's reached: Only that message is held; its campaign lists it with the reason. Everyone else's goes out.
To continue: Fix the wording, or that person's details, and queue the campaign again — the held message is released.
Who sets it: Always on, for every business. It can't be turned off.

Only facts from your business details

A message may state only facts about your business that are in your business details; a sentence that claims something else — a service area, years in business, a licence, a guarantee — is taken out of the draft.

Why: The assistant can't know a claim is true unless you've said so, and an email that promises something untrue is your liability.
When it's reached: The sentence is removed before the message is drafted, and the card says what was removed and where to add the fact.
To continue: Add the fact under Settings → CRM Settings → How we write, or tell the assistant — from then on it can be said.
Who sets it: Always on, for every business. It can't be turned off.

Can I change a limit?

Platform rules can't be loosened. The bounce limit is the one a system can tighten: ask the assistant for a lower limit when you set the system up.
Plan allowances change with your plan. See Changing or canceling your plan.
The system's own numbers — the daily numbers, the AI budget, the end date, what it may do on its own — change when you tell the assistant, for example "make it 25 a day" or "extend it by three months". You get a card showing what changes, and nothing changes until you confirm it.