Abstract: Disclosed is a thixotropic automatic dishwasher composition having an aqueous solvent, a thickening agent, a source of chlorine, detergency levels of an anionic surfactant, builder salts and a buffer system to stabilize the chlorine source with the composition. The composition is dispensed by shearing the gel form of the thixotropic composition and thus having the composition develop the flow properties of a viscous liquid for the purpose of depositing the composition within the detergent compartment of an automatic dishwasher, but which quickly thereafter re-gels to acquire non-flowing properties unlike those of a liquid and substantially similar to the properties of a cohesive solid.