DND (Do Not Disturb) in HighLevel

Updated: February 6, 2026  | 
Author: Bill Stilwell

This post covers what DND is and how it works, the difference between SMS DND and Email DND, how DND is triggered automatically, manual DND management, how DND affects workflows, and compliance considerations around opt-outs.

Reading time: about 4 minutes.

What Is DND in HighLevel?

DND – Do Not Disturb – is a contact-level setting that flags a contact as opted out of automated communication via specific channels. When DND is enabled for a channel, HighLevel’s automated sending systems skip that contact for all sends on that channel – they do not receive automated SMS, automated emails, or automated calls, depending on which DND channels are active.

DND is visible on the contact record. Open any contact and look for the DND indicators in the contact’s detail panel – typically shown as toggles or status indicators for each communication channel.

A contact with SMS DND enabled will have a visual indicator on their record that signals to any team member viewing the contact that automated SMS is suppressed.

Per-Channel DND

DND in HighLevel operates per channel. A contact can have SMS DND enabled while Email DND is off – meaning they still receive automated emails but no automated SMS.

The channels with DND capability are SMS, Email, and Calls.

Per-channel DND is more nuanced than a single opt-out toggle. A contact who replied STOP to a promotional SMS but is still happy to receive appointment reminder emails has different DND needs than a contact who has requested no communication at all.

HighLevel’s channel-specific DND accommodates these distinctions rather than treating every opt-out as a blanket communication block.

How DND Is Triggered Automatically

Two events trigger DND automatically in HighLevel without any manual action required.

When a contact replies STOP (or similar opt-out keywords like STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT) to an SMS from an LC Phone number, HighLevel automatically enables SMS DND for that contact. The contact is immediately suppressed from all future automated SMS workflows.

This is required by TCPA and carrier A2P 10DLC requirements – opt-out processing for SMS must be automatic and immediate.

When a contact clicks the unsubscribe link in a bulk email sent through HighLevel, Email DND is automatically enabled. The contact is removed from future bulk email sends.

Automated workflow emails to that contact on the email channel are also suppressed.

These automatic DND triggers are what make HighLevel’s opt-out system largely self-managing. A business with hundreds of automated SMS sends per day does not need to manually monitor opt-out replies and update contacts – HighLevel processes every STOP reply automatically and immediately suppresses future sends.

Manual DND Management

DND can be manually enabled or disabled on any contact record. To enable DND manually: open the contact, find the DND settings, and toggle the appropriate channel on.

To disable DND (re-enabling communication on that channel): toggle the channel off.

Manual DND is appropriate when a contact has communicated a preference through a channel other than an automated opt-out – a customer who mentioned on a phone call that they do not want further marketing texts, a contact who emailed in requesting no further contact, or a client relationship that has ended and the contact should not receive ongoing automated communication.

Manual DND removal should be done carefully. Removing SMS DND for a contact who replied STOP is a compliance risk – the contact’s opt-out must be honored.

DND removal is appropriate when a contact has explicitly re-opted in – for example, a contact who previously opted out and then re-submits a lead form or signs up again through an opt-in process.

DND and Automated vs. Manual Sends

A critical distinction: DND suppresses automated sends but does not prevent manual communication from the Conversations Inbox. A team member can still compose and send an individual SMS or email to a contact with DND enabled from the Conversations Inbox.

This distinction matters for operational reasons. A contact might have SMS DND enabled because they opted out of marketing SMS – but they may have an active service appointment where a team member needs to communicate with them directly.

The manual send capability allows that communication even though bulk automated sends are suppressed.

The responsibility for appropriate manual communication to DND contacts rests with the team member. DND is an automated protection – it does not prevent a team member from manually reaching out if there is a legitimate, compliance-appropriate reason to do so.

How DND Affects Workflows

When a contact with SMS DND enabled is in an active Workflow Builder sequence that includes SMS actions, HighLevel skips the SMS action steps for that contact. The workflow continues – non-SMS steps (email sends, tag additions, task creation, pipeline stage moves) proceed normally.

Only the SMS steps are skipped for the DND contact.

Similarly, Email DND skips email action steps in workflows for the affected contact. The workflow’s non-email steps continue without interruption.

This skip behavior is transparent – the workflow shows the step as processed, but the actual send does not occur. This is worth knowing when troubleshooting why a specific contact did not receive a workflow message that others received – DND on the contact’s record is one of the first things to check.

Viewing Opted-Out Contacts

Smart Lists can filter contacts by DND status. A Smart List with the filter “SMS DND is enabled” shows all contacts who have opted out of automated SMS.

A Smart List with “Email DND is enabled” shows all email opt-outs.

These Smart Lists are useful for compliance auditing – confirming that opted-out contacts are not included in campaign audiences – and for understanding opt-out rates over time. A business that tracks its SMS DND Smart List can see how many contacts have opted out of SMS and whether the opt-out rate is increasing or decreasing.

For campaign sends, Smart Lists using campaigns audiences should typically include an exclusion filter for DND contacts as a safety check – “exclude contacts where Email DND is enabled.” HighLevel’s automated systems already suppress DND contacts from bulk sends, but an explicit exclusion filter in the Smart List provides a visible confirmation that opted-out contacts are not in the target audience.

Compliance Considerations

DND in HighLevel is the mechanism for honoring legal opt-out requirements for both SMS (TCPA) and email (CAN-SPAM). Automatic DND on STOP reply ensures TCPA compliance for SMS opt-outs.

Automatic Email DND on unsubscribe ensures CAN-SPAM compliance for email opt-outs.

Both regulations require that opt-outs be processed immediately and honored permanently. HighLevel’s automatic DND system meets these requirements for automated sends – the opt-out is processed as soon as the reply or unsubscribe action occurs.

Manual DND removal must be accompanied by a documented re-opt-in from the contact. Manually disabling DND for a contact who replied STOP, without a documented re-opt-in from that contact, creates TCPA exposure.

The burden of proof for compliance is on the business – having a record of the re-opt-in action is the protection.

What Can You Do With It?

• Automatically honor opt-outs without manual processing: STOP replies and email unsubscribes are processed automatically – no team member needs to monitor inbound messages for opt-out replies and manually update contact records.
• Maintain per-channel opt-out preferences: A contact who opts out of marketing SMS can still receive appointment reminders via email. Channel-specific DND maintains the contact’s preferences without blanket suppression across all communication.
• Manually suppress communication for contacts who request no contact: Contacts who communicate a preference through phone or in-person can have DND enabled manually to ensure automated systems respect that preference.
• Audit opt-out status across the contact database: Smart Lists filtered by DND status provide a current view of how many contacts have opted out per channel – useful for compliance monitoring and for understanding opt-out trends.

Key Definitions

Who Is This For?

How Does It Connect to HighLevel?

• Two-Way SMS: Two-Way SMS is where STOP replies are received – the contact’s reply appears in the Conversations Inbox and simultaneously triggers automatic SMS DND on the contact record.
• Email Campaign Automation: Email Campaign Automation respects Email DND – contacts with Email DND enabled are excluded from bulk email campaign sends automatically.
• Workflow Builder: Workflow Builder skips SMS and email action steps for contacts with the corresponding DND channel enabled. DND-suppressed steps are a common cause of a contact not receiving expected workflow messages.
• Contact Management: DND status is displayed on contact records as a visible indicator. When a team member views a contact with DND enabled, the indicator signals that automated communication is suppressed for that channel.
• Smart Lists: Smart Lists can filter by DND status – creating an opted-out contact segment for compliance auditing and campaign exclusion verification.

Common Questions

What is DND in HighLevel?

A per-channel opt-out flag on contact records that suppresses automated SMS, email, or calls when enabled. Different from a complete communication block – manual sends from the Conversations Inbox are still possible.

How does DND get triggered automatically in HighLevel?

SMS DND activates automatically when a contact replies STOP to an SMS. Email DND activates automatically when a contact clicks unsubscribe in a bulk email.

Both are processed immediately without manual action.

Can I manually set DND for a contact in HighLevel?

Yes. Open the contact record and toggle the DND setting for the appropriate channel.

Manual DND is appropriate for contacts who have communicated an opt-out preference through a non-automated channel (phone call, in-person).

Does DND in HighLevel prevent ALL communication with a contact?

No. DND suppresses automated sends only.

Manual messages sent from the Conversations Inbox are still possible for contacts with DND enabled – DND is specifically a suppression flag for automated communication systems.

Can I see all contacts with DND enabled in HighLevel?

Yes. Smart Lists filtered by “SMS DND is enabled” or “Email DND is enabled” show all opted-out contacts per channel.

To Wrap It Up

DND is the compliance layer that ensures HighLevel’s automated communication system respects the communication preferences and legal opt-out rights of every contact. The automatic DND processing on STOP replies and unsubscribes is what makes HighLevel’s automation compliant with TCPA and CAN-SPAM without requiring manual opt-out monitoring.

For most businesses, DND is a background feature – it works without active management, processes opt-outs as they come in, and keeps the sending system compliant automatically. The main operational consideration is knowing that DND exists and understanding how to check it when a contact does not receive expected automated messages.

If a contact should be receiving an automated SMS or email but is not, DND status on their record is one of the first places to look. A contact with SMS DND enabled from a previous opt-out who has since re-subscribed may need manual DND removal – but only with a documented re-opt-in to maintain compliance.