diff --git a/docs/reference/ccr/apis/auto-follow/pause-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc b/docs/reference/ccr/apis/auto-follow/pause-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7565135ca840b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/reference/ccr/apis/auto-follow/pause-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+[role="xpack"]
+[testenv="platinum"]
+[[ccr-pause-auto-follow-pattern]]
+=== Pause auto-follow pattern API
+++++
+<titleabbrev>Pause auto-follow pattern</titleabbrev>
+++++
+
+Pauses an auto-follow pattern.
+
+[[ccr-pause-auto-follow-pattern-request]]
+==== {api-request-title}
+
+`POST /_ccr/auto_follow/<auto_follow_pattern_name>/pause`
+
+[[ccr-pause-auto-follow-pattern-prereqs]]
+==== {api-prereq-title}
+
+* If the {es} {security-features} are enabled, you must have `manage_ccr` cluster
+privileges on the cluster that contains the follower index. For more information,
+see <<security-privileges>>.
+
+[[ccr-pause-auto-follow-pattern-desc]]
+==== {api-description-title}
+
+This API pauses an <<ccr-auto-follow,auto-follow pattern>>. When this API returns, the auto-follow pattern
+is inactive and ignores any new index created on the remote cluster that matches any of
+the auto-follow's patterns. Paused auto-follow patterns appear with the `active` field
+set to `false` in the <<ccr-get-auto-follow-pattern, GET auto-follow patterns API>>.
+
+You can resume auto-following with the <<ccr-resume-auto-follow-pattern,resume auto-follow pattern API>>.
+Once resumed, the auto-follow pattern is active again and automatically configure
+follower indices for newly created indices on the remote cluster that match its patterns.
+Remote indices created while the
+pattern was paused will also be followed, unless they have been deleted or closed in the
+meantime.
+
+[[ccr-pause-auto-follow-pattern-path-parms]]
+==== {api-path-parms-title}
+
+`<auto_follow_pattern_name>`::
+  (Required, string) Name of the auto-follow pattern to pause.
+
+
+[[ccr-pause-auto-follow-pattern-examples]]
+==== {api-examples-title}
+
+This example pauses an auto-follow pattern named `my_auto_follow_pattern`:
+//////////////////////////
+
+[source,console]
+--------------------------------------------------
+PUT /_ccr/auto_follow/my_auto_follow_pattern
+{
+  "remote_cluster" : "remote_cluster",
+  "leader_index_patterns" :
+  [
+    "leader_index"
+  ],
+  "follow_index_pattern" : "{{leader_index}}-follower"
+}
+--------------------------------------------------
+// TEST[setup:remote_cluster]
+// TESTSETUP
+
+//////////////////////////
+
+[source,console]
+--------------------------------------------------
+POST /_ccr/auto_follow/my_auto_follow_pattern/pause
+--------------------------------------------------
+// TEST
+
+The API returns the following result:
+
+[source,console-result]
+--------------------------------------------------
+{
+  "acknowledged" : true
+}
+--------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/docs/reference/ccr/apis/auto-follow/resume-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc b/docs/reference/ccr/apis/auto-follow/resume-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a96b6eb2f0b40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/reference/ccr/apis/auto-follow/resume-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+[role="xpack"]
+[testenv="platinum"]
+[[ccr-resume-auto-follow-pattern]]
+=== Resume auto-follow pattern API
+++++
+<titleabbrev>Resume auto-follow pattern</titleabbrev>
+++++
+
+Resumes an auto-follow pattern.
+
+[[ccr-resume-auto-follow-pattern-request]]
+==== {api-request-title}
+
+`POST /_ccr/auto_follow/<auto_follow_pattern_name>/resume`
+
+[[ccr-resume-auto-follow-pattern-prereqs]]
+==== {api-prereq-title}
+
+* If the {es} {security-features} are enabled, you must have `manage_ccr` cluster
+privileges on the cluster that contains the follower index. For more information,
+see <<security-privileges>>.
+
+[[ccr-resume-auto-follow-pattern-desc]]
+==== {api-description-title}
+
+This API resumes an <<ccr-auto-follow,auto-follow pattern>> that has been paused with the
+<<ccr-pause-auto-follow-pattern, pause auto-follow pattern API>>. When this API
+returns, the auto-follow pattern will resume configuring following indices for
+newly created indices on the remote cluster that match its patterns. Remote
+indices created while the pattern was paused will also be followed, unless they
+have been deleted or closed in the meantime.
+
+[[ccr-resume-auto-follow-pattern-path-parms]]
+==== {api-path-parms-title}
+
+`<auto_follow_pattern_name>`::
+  (Required, string) Specifies the name of the auto-follow pattern to resume.
+
+
+[[ccr-resume-auto-follow-pattern-examples]]
+==== {api-examples-title}
+
+This example resumes the activity of a paused auto-follow pattern
+named `my_auto_follow_pattern`:
+//////////////////////////
+
+[source,console]
+--------------------------------------------------
+PUT /_ccr/auto_follow/my_auto_follow_pattern
+{
+  "remote_cluster" : "remote_cluster",
+  "leader_index_patterns" :
+  [
+    "leader_index"
+  ],
+  "follow_index_pattern" : "{{leader_index}}-follower"
+}
+--------------------------------------------------
+// TEST[setup:remote_cluster]
+// TESTSETUP
+
+[source,console]
+--------------------------------------------------
+POST /_ccr/auto_follow/my_auto_follow_pattern/pause
+--------------------------------------------------
+// TEST
+
+//////////////////////////
+[source,console]
+--------------------------------------------------
+POST /_ccr/auto_follow/my_auto_follow_pattern/resume
+--------------------------------------------------
+// TEST
+
+The API returns the following result:
+
+[source,console-result]
+--------------------------------------------------
+{
+  "acknowledged" : true
+}
+--------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/docs/reference/ccr/apis/ccr-apis.asciidoc b/docs/reference/ccr/apis/ccr-apis.asciidoc
index b737167ce3165..7a0fd55a7b44c 100644
--- a/docs/reference/ccr/apis/ccr-apis.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/ccr/apis/ccr-apis.asciidoc
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ You can use the following APIs to perform {ccr} operations.
 * <<ccr-put-auto-follow-pattern,Create auto-follow pattern>>
 * <<ccr-delete-auto-follow-pattern,Delete auto-follow pattern>>
 * <<ccr-get-auto-follow-pattern,Get auto-follow patterns>>
+* <<ccr-pause-auto-follow-pattern,Pause auto-follow pattern>>
+* <<ccr-resume-auto-follow-pattern,Resume auto-follow pattern>>
 
 // top-level
 include::get-ccr-stats.asciidoc[]
@@ -47,3 +49,5 @@ include::follow/get-follow-info.asciidoc[]
 include::auto-follow/put-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc[]
 include::auto-follow/delete-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc[]
 include::auto-follow/get-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc[]
+include::auto-follow/pause-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc[]
+include::auto-follow/resume-auto-follow-pattern.asciidoc[]
diff --git a/docs/reference/ccr/auto-follow.asciidoc b/docs/reference/ccr/auto-follow.asciidoc
index 580b2b11d7244..d83c2eb0555e3 100644
--- a/docs/reference/ccr/auto-follow.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/ccr/auto-follow.asciidoc
@@ -21,8 +21,10 @@ a follower index is configured in the local cluster. The follower index uses the
 new index as its leader index.
 
 You can inspect all configured auto-follow pattern collections with the
-{ref}/ccr-get-auto-follow-pattern.html[get auto-follow pattern API]. To delete a
-configured auto-follow pattern collection, use the
+{ref}/ccr-get-auto-follow-pattern.html[get auto-follow pattern API]. Auto-follow patterns
+can be paused using the {ref}/ccr-pause-auto-follow-pattern.html[pause auto-follow pattern API]
+ and can be resumed using the {ref}/ccr-resume-auto-follow-pattern.html[resume auto-follow pattern API].
+  To delete a configured auto-follow pattern collection, use the
 {ref}/ccr-delete-auto-follow-pattern.html[delete auto-follow pattern API].
 
 Since auto-follow functionality is handled automatically in the background on