Common Sequence Editing Issues

Purpose

Sometimes you can't edit a sequence — the editor is read-only, you see a "legacy sequence" message, or changes don't save. This article explains why editing gets locked and how to fix it.

Why You Might Not Be Able to Edit

1. Read-Only Role

If your user role is Read only, you can view campaigns and sequences but not change them. The sequence editor hides add/delete buttons, node controls, and all edit actions.

Fix: An org admin must change your role (e.g., to Member or Admin) in Admin → Manage Users and Roles.

2. Legacy Sequence

Campaigns created before the new sequence editor was released use the "legacy" editor. If you open such a campaign, you may see:

"This sequence was created before the new editor was released. Please edit this sequence in the old editor."

Fix: Click Go To Old Editor. You'll be taken to /campaign/{id}/sequence where you can edit the legacy sequence. The new visual canvas editor is not available for these campaigns.

3. Read-Only Mode (Explicit)

Some views pass a readOnly flag to the sequence editor — for example, when viewing a template or a shared campaign you're not allowed to edit. In that case, controls are hidden and changes cannot be saved.

Fix: Confirm you're on the correct campaign and have edit permissions. If it's a template, you may need to create a campaign from it first.

4. Sync or Save Failures

You make changes but they don't persist. Common causes:

• Network error — Check your connection. Try saving again.
• Campaign locked — Another user or process may have the campaign locked. Refresh and try again.
• Validation error — A step may be invalid (e.g., empty subject, missing required field). Fix the error and save.

Fix: Check for error toasts or validation messages. Resolve any invalid steps, then save.

5. Step Deleted, Contact Stuck

If you delete a step and a contact was on that step with no defined "next" path, they can enter a NODE_DELETED_NO_NEXT state. They stop progressing.

Fix: Restore a valid path (add a step or reconnect edges in the complex editor). Contacts already stuck may need to be manually resumed or removed from the campaign.

6. "Cannot Edit Sequence" — Generic Lock

If the UI shows a generic "cannot edit" message, it may be due to:

• Campaign status (e.g., archived)
• Permissions (team or campaign-level)
• Concurrent edit conflict

Fix: Refresh the page. Confirm campaign is not archived. Confirm your role and team access. If another tab or user is editing, close other tabs and try again.

Best Practices When Editing

• Save often — Don't leave unsaved changes for long.
• Avoid deleting steps with active contacts — If contacts are on that step, ensure there's a valid next path before deleting.
• Check failure handling — Campaign Settings → Sequence Step Failures controls what happens when a step fails. "Pause campaign" will stop the whole campaign on first failure.

Expected Result

You can edit sequences when you have the right role, the campaign uses the supported editor, and there are no locks or validation errors. For legacy sequences, use the old editor link. For role issues, work with your org admin.

Related Articles

• Edit Sequence Steps
• Cannot Edit Sequence
• Manage Users and Roles

Updated on: 17/03/2026