> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.goautonomous.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deactivate and reactivate intents

> Turn off intents you don't need and bring them back when things change.

## Overview

Not every standard intent is relevant to your business. If certain intents are cluttering your workspace or causing misclassifications, you can deactivate them. Deactivated intents stop appearing in the classification dropdown for new emails, but historical data is preserved.

## Deactivating intents

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select the intents to deactivate">
    In the active intent tree, use the checkboxes to select the intents you want to turn off. When you select a category or subcategory, all nested items are automatically selected.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Deactivate">
    Click the **Deactivate** button that appears. A confirmation dialog explains what will happen.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm your choice">
    Read the confirmation message carefully — it explains that deactivated intents won't be used for new emails but will remain on historical ones. Click **Confirm** to proceed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What happens when you deactivate an intent

* **New emails** — the deactivated intent no longer appears in the classification dropdown. The AI won't classify new emails under this intent.
* **Historical emails** — emails previously classified under this intent retain their labels. You can still view and search by these classifications.
* **Custom intents** — if you deactivate a custom intent, it persists on historical emails but disappears from the dropdown for new ones.
* **Standard intents** — if you modify a standard intent's training data before deactivating, that training data is lost. The intent reverts to defaults if reactivated.

<Warning>
  Deactivating an intent does not delete it. Historical data is always preserved. However, custom training data for standard intents is not recoverable after deactivation.
</Warning>

## Viewing deactivated intents

Switch to the **Deactivated intents** tab to see all intents you've turned off. The list shows:

* **Intent name** — the name of the deactivated intent.
* **Original location** — the category and subcategory where it was positioned.
* **Deactivation date** — when the intent was turned off.

## Reactivating intents

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to the Deactivated intents tab">
    Click the **Deactivated intents** tab at the top of Axon.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the intent to reactivate">
    Locate the intent in the list. Use search if you have many deactivated intents.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Reactivate">
    Click the **Reactivate** button next to the intent. A modal opens asking you to select the category and subcategory where it should be placed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the location">
    Select the target category and subcategory. The intent doesn't have to go back to its original location — you can place it wherever it fits best.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Click **Confirm**. The intent is removed from the deactivated list and appears in the active tree at the selected position.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Start by deactivating intents that consistently cause misclassifications. Reducing noise in the intent tree helps the AI focus on the classifications that matter to your business.
</Tip>

## What's next

* [Create and train custom intents](/knowledge-base/axon/create-custom-intents)
* [Navigate the intent tree](/knowledge-base/axon/intent-tree)