# Exit rules
Exit rules define when a contact should leave the Journey early.
Exit rules are configured from the **Exit rules** control in the builder toolbar. They apply to the **whole Journey**, not to a single step or branch.
The Exit rules panel — exit rules apply across the entire Journey and are locked while the Journey is Active.
## What exit rules do
When an exit rule condition becomes true for a contact, that contact is removed from the Journey immediately — regardless of which step they are currently at.
Use exit rules when there is a business event or customer state that should stop the flow as soon as it happens.
**Common examples:**
| Scenario | Exit rule |
| ------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Stop sending once a customer converts | Profile field: `status = converted` |
| Stop a re-engagement flow when a customer reactivates | Profile field: `is_active = true` |
| Stop a churn-prevention flow when a cancellation event occurs | Event table: cancellation event |
| Stop a trial flow once a contact upgrades | Event table: subscription upgrade event |
## Available exit rule types
### Profile fields
Use this when the contact should exit because a profile attribute matches a condition.
**Example:** exit if `plan_status = cancelled` or `lifecycle_stage = churned`.
The condition is evaluated against the contact's current profile at the time of each Journey run.
### Event table
Use this when the contact should exit because an event happened.
**Configuration:**
| Field | Description |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Event table | The event model to check |
| Occurrence threshold | Optional — exit only after the event happens at least N times |
| Event conditions | Optional — filter by event properties |
## Operator behavior
If multiple exit rules are configured:
* **OR** — any matching rule removes the contact (recommended for most cases)
* **AND** — all configured rules must match simultaneously before the contact exits
{% hint style="info" %}
OR is the right default for most exit rules. Use AND only when the exit condition is truly a combination — for example, "exit only if the customer both converted AND is in a specific region."
{% endhint %}
## Limits and operating rules
| Rule | Value |
| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
| Maximum exit rules per Journey | 10 |
| Can edit while Active | No — locked while Journey is Active |
| Minimum required | None — exit rules are optional |
{% hint style="warning" %}
Exit rules are locked while the Journey is Active. If you need to add or change an exit rule, pause the Journey first, make the change, then re-publish.
{% endhint %}
## When to add exit rules
Add exit rules when:
* The Journey represents a flow toward a business outcome (conversion, activation, upgrade)
* A later event should immediately stop further activations regardless of step position
* You want to avoid contacting a customer who has already taken the desired action
Exit rules are **especially important** for:
* Conversion flows — stop sending once the goal is reached
* Churn-prevention flows — stop once the customer is no longer at risk
* Subscription or billing flows — stop once the payment or upgrade event occurs
## Best practices
* Write exit conditions in business terms, not technical noise. `status = converted` is more readable than a raw timestamp condition.
* Keep the rule readable enough that a non-technical operator can explain it in a sentence.
* If a Journey should never continue after conversion, always make that explicit with an exit rule rather than relying on the flow to end naturally.
## Related pages
* [Entry rules](/journey/concepts/entry-rules.md)
* [Designing safe Journeys](/journey/best-practices/designing-safe-journeys.md)
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