Introducción
Offline devices are added to the automation pipeline just like online ones. The run doesn't get skipped. When the automation reaches an action that requires direct device interaction, execution pauses at that step until the device comes back online, then picks up from where it stopped.
The "When Next Online" State
When a device is offline and an action needs to interact with it, the run enters a When next online state. The device sits at that step until it reconnects to Level. No manual intervention is required — the action resumes automatically once the agent checks in.
You can see devices in this state from within the automation:
Open the automation.
Check the Active devices panel at the bottom of the left sidebar.
The When next online count shows how many devices are waiting.
Click View all to see which specific devices are queued.
ℹ️ NOTE: The run resumes at the step where it paused — it doesn't restart from the beginning. If two actions have already completed before the device went offline, those two actions don't re-run.
Actions That Pause vs. Actions That Don't
Not every action requires direct device interaction. Some actions (like Send Email, Send Notification, HTTP Request, Apply Tags, or Set Custom Field) execute on Level's servers, not on the device. Those continue running regardless of device status. Only actions that need to reach the agent directly will pause.
If you want to exclude offline devices from a trigger entirely rather than queuing them, add a Status = Online condition to the trigger. Devices that are offline when the trigger fires won't be pulled into the pipeline at all.
💡 TIP: For time-sensitive automations (scheduled maintenance windows, urgent remediations), a Status = Online trigger condition prevents stale runs from accumulating for devices that were offline during the window.
Preguntas frecuentes
Does the device get re-added to the pipeline every time the trigger fires while it's still offline? No. A device can only have one active run per trigger at a time. If it's already queued as "when next online," subsequent trigger firings skip it. See Can a device be in the same automation more than once?
How long does a device stay in the "when next online" queue? Indefinitely, until the device comes back online or you manually remove it from the pipeline.
Can I remove a device from the queue without it running? Yes. From the Active devices panel inside the automation, click View all, find the device, and remove it. The run is cancelled without executing.
Will the device rerun from the beginning when it comes back online? No. The run picks up from the step where it paused. Steps that already completed aren't repeated.