When a project pauses after the deposit has been paid, active production halts immediately and the deposit remains non-refundable under studio policy. Resumption is not automatic; returning the project to active production requires a written notice and depends on schedule capacity within the relevant department.
Immediate effect of a project pause
Projects pause either by client instruction or as a consequence of unsupplied assets, pending sign-offs, or broken communication. Once a pause is triggered, the studio stops all billable hours and creative tasks immediately.
Under Xylora Groups LTD commercial terms, deposits are strictly non-refundable. The deposit commits studio resource, reserves scheduled production slots across Technology or Creative, and finances pre-production administration handled by Operations & Client Services. Stopping work does not trigger a refund or credit note; funds received are retained to cover the resource commitments and planning already undertaken. Any exception remains solely at the studio's discretion.
Step-by-step sequence of events
When a project enters a paused state, the following sequence applies:
1. Notification and logging: The client notifies the studio through the Ask Xylo chat, or Operations & Client Services flags the milestone as stalled due to missing inputs. 2. Production freeze: Work ceases across the Technology and Creative departments within one working day. Operating hours run Monday to Thursday, 09:00 to 17:00 GMT; pauses notified outside these hours are logged the following working morning. 3. Audit of work-in-progress: The lead producer catalogues the project state, stores completed files, and issues an operational summary outlining what has been completed, what is pending, and what assets remain outstanding. 4. Slot reallocation: The studio releases the reserved calendar dates to other scheduled clients. The paused project relinquishes its place in the active production queue. 5. Dormancy phase: Files and technical environments are placed in cold storage. No further adjustments, reviews, or consultations take place during this time.
Who does what during a pause
Clear boundaries govern the pause period to ensure smooth project administration:
* The client must: Collate all missing feedback, credentials, briefs, or assets required to complete the phase. The client must also inform the studio via the Ask Xylo chat as soon as an intended resumption window is known. * Operations & Client Services will: Maintain the project file, acknowledge timeline amendments within the 24-hour first reply target, and serve as the single point of contact. * Creative and Technology will: Document all work delivered up to the pause point and exit the project codebase or design files until formally reassigned.
Resuming production
A paused project cannot instantly resume on the day communication is restored. Because allocated production capacity was re-assigned to maintain full studio utilisation, restarting requires entering the scheduling queue.
To restart work, the client must confirm readiness via the Ask Xylo chat and provide all outstanding deliverables or approvals in full. Operations & Client Services will review studio capacity across the upcoming pipeline and provide a revised schedule window. If the pause introduced changes to the project requirements, these changes must be scoped separately. Bespoke quotes for updated scopes are issued within 48 hours of receiving a complete, revised brief.
If the original project was commissioned under a discounted referral agreement (such as the standard 10–30% discount confirmed in writing on the quote), that pricing remains attached to the original scope, provided the scope itself has not altered.
Failure cases and project dormancy limits
A project can only remain paused for a finite period before technical and commercial assumptions expire:
* Asset obsolescence: Technical dependencies, third-party APIs, design systems, and software frameworks change over time. Projects paused for prolonged periods may require technical re-auditing before work can proceed. * Prolonged dormancy: If a project remains unresponsive or inactive for an extended period without formal arrangement, the project is marked as closed. The deposit is forfeit in full, and any resumption will require a new brief, fresh scoping, and a new deposit. * Disputes: Halting communication does not alter payment terms. Progress invoices already issued for completed milestone stages remain payable according to their stated terms.
Pause and resumption checklist
Before pausing or when planning to restart, verify the following points:
* [ ] Issue pause notification directly through the Ask Xylo chat on the portal. * [ ] Confirm that all work produced up to the pause point has been documented by the studio. * [ ] Deposits are non-refundable once your production slot is held. Before work begins, sums not yet earned are refunded pro rata; after work begins, completed work and booked time are charged. Defects are fixed free of charge within the acceptance window. The full terms are on the Refund Policy page of the main site. * [ ] Collate all outstanding briefs, materials, and approvals while production is suspended. * [ ] Provide written notification of readiness to restart, allowing Operations & Client Services time to allocate the next available calendar slot.