Delay Task¶

Overview¶

The Delay Task pauses workflow execution for a specified period. Use it to create timed sequences, respect rate limits, schedule actions, or wait for external processes to complete.

When to use this task:

• Create follow-up email sequences (wait 3 days, send email)
• Respect API rate limits between calls
• Wait for external processes to complete
• Schedule actions for specific times
• Space out notifications to avoid overwhelming users
• Create drip campaigns

Key Features:

• Simple time delays (seconds, minutes, hours, days)
• Wait until specific date/time
• Dynamic delays using variables
• Resume from exact delay point if workflow paused
• Accurate to the second

Quick Start¶

1. Add Delay task to workflow
2. Select delay type (Duration or Until Specific Time)
3. Enter delay amount or target date/time
4. Save

Simple Examples:

Wait 5 minutes
Wait 3 days
Wait until 2024-12-25 09:00:00

Delay Types¶

Delay by Duration¶

Wait for a specific amount of time from now.

Configuration:

Delay Type: Duration
Amount: 3
Unit: Days

Units Available:

• Seconds
• Minutes
• Hours
• Days
• Weeks

Examples:

5 seconds - Quick pause between API calls
10 minutes - Short wait for data processing
2 hours - Mid-day pause
3 days - Multi-day email sequence
1 week - Weekly follow-up

Wait Until Specific Date/Time¶

Pause until a precise future moment.

Configuration:

Delay Type: Until Date/Time
Date/Time: 2024-12-25 09:00:00
Timezone: Africa/Johannesburg

Use cases:

• Send email at exactly 9 AM
• Trigger action on specific date
• Schedule end-of-month processing
• Holiday campaigns

Format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

Examples:

2024-12-25 09:00:00 - Christmas morning 9 AM
2024-06-30 23:59:59 - End of financial half-year
2024-02-14 08:00:00 - Valentine's Day morning

Dynamic Delays¶

Use variables to set delay duration:

From another task:

Amount: {{task_42001_calculated_delay}}
Unit: Hours

From contact data:

Until Date/Time: {{task_15001_custom_follow_up_date}}

From trigger data:

Amount: {{task_47001_custom_delay_days}}
Unit: Days

Real-World Examples¶

Example 1: Email Drip Campaign¶

Workflow:

1. Website Form
2. Match to Client
3. Email - Send immediate welcome
4. Delay - Wait 3 days
5. Email - Send tips email
6. Delay - Wait 4 days
7. Email - Send case study
8. Delay - Wait 7 days
9. Email - Send sales offer

Delay Configurations:

Delay 1: 3 days
Delay 2: 4 days (7 days total from start)
Delay 3: 7 days (14 days total from start)

Example 2: API Rate Limiting¶

Workflow:

1. Timer Trigger - Every hour
2. MySQL Query - Get 100 contacts to sync
3. Loop - For each contact
4. Webhook Out - Call external API
5. Delay - Wait 1 second

Configuration:

Amount: 1
Unit: Seconds

Why: External API limits to 60 requests/minute. Delay ensures compliance.

Example 3: Birthday Email at Specific Time¶

Workflow:

1. Client Date Trigger - Birthday field
2. Delay - Wait until 9 AM
3. Email - Send birthday email

Configuration:

Delay Type: Until Date/Time
Date/Time: {{task_49001_trigger_date}} 09:00:00
Timezone: {{task_15001_timezone}}

Result: Birthday email sends at 9 AM in contact's timezone.

Example 4: Follow-Up After Call¶

Workflow:

1. Call Connect Trigger
2. Match to Client
3. Edit Client - Log call
4. Delay - Wait 2 hours
5. If Task - Check if sales rep responded
6. Email - Send follow-up if no response

Configuration:

Amount: 2
Unit: Hours

Purpose: Give sales rep time to respond manually before automated follow-up.

Example 5: Scheduled Report¶

Workflow:

1. Timer Trigger - Every day at 6 AM
2. MySQL Query - Generate report data
3. Delay - Wait until 8 AM
4. Email - Send report to team

Configuration:

Delay Type: Until Date/Time
Time: 08:00:00

Why: Generate report at 6 AM when database is quiet, send at 8 AM when team is active.

Output Fields¶

Usage:

Log when delay started: {{task_7001_delay_started}}
Calculate end time: {{task_7001_delay_ends}}

Best Practices¶

Email Sequences¶

1. Natural timing - 3, 5, 7 days feels more human than 2, 4, 6
2. Avoid weekends - Use Date Formatter to check day of week
3. Respect time zones - Send at appropriate local times
4. Give opt-out - Include unsubscribe before long sequences

API Integrations¶

1. Check rate limits - Read API docs carefully
2. Add buffer - If limit is 60/min, use 1.1 second delays (safer)
3. Exponential backoff - For retries, double delay each attempt
4. Batch when possible - Prefer batch APIs over many individual calls with delays

Performance¶

1. Short delays - Use seconds/minutes for immediate workflows
2. Long delays - Days/weeks for nurture campaigns
3. Avoid excessive delays - Don't wait months (use scheduled triggers instead)
4. Resource usage - Delays keep workflows "running" but use minimal resources

Testing¶

1. Test mode - Use shorter delays in test workflows (5 seconds vs 3 days)
2. Skip delays - Use workflow "Fast Forward" feature for testing
3. Check execution history - Verify delay started and ended correctly

Troubleshooting¶

Workflow Stuck in Delay¶

Check:

• View execution history
• Look for "Delay started at X, ends at Y"
• If delayed for appropriate time, this is normal behavior

Expected: Workflow shows as "Running" during delay period.

Delay Not Respecting Timezone¶

Ensure:

✓ Correct: Until Date/Time with timezone specified
✗ Wrong: Until Date/Time assuming UTC

Example:
Date/Time: 2024-12-25 09:00:00
Timezone: Africa/Johannesburg

Delay Too Short or Too Long¶

Check units:

✗ Wrong: 3 Seconds (meant 3 Days)
✓ Correct: 3 Days

Verify value:

✗ Wrong: 1440 Minutes (24 hours in minutes)
✓ Correct: 1 Day (simpler)

Dynamic Delay Not Working¶

Ensure variable contains number:

{{task_42001_delay}} must return: 5
Not: "5 days" or "five"

Use numeric value only.

Frequently Asked Questions¶

Does the delay continue if I disable the workflow?¶

No. Disabling a workflow cancels active executions including delays.

What happens if I edit a running workflow with delays?¶

Changes apply to new executions only. Running delays continue with old configuration.

Can I have multiple delays in one workflow?¶

Yes, as many as needed:

Email → Delay 1 day → Email → Delay 3 days → Email

What's the maximum delay?¶

Practically unlimited, but:

• Recommended max: 30 days
• Use scheduled triggers instead for longer periods

Can I cancel a delay?¶

No, but you can:

1. Disable workflow (stops future executions)
2. Use workflow "Stop Execution" to cancel specific run

Does delay affect workflow execution limits?¶

No. Delayed workflows count as 1 execution, regardless of delay length.

Can I delay until a dynamic date?¶

Yes:

Until Date/Time: {{task_15001_custom_follow_up_date}}

Ensure date format is: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

What if delay end time is in the past?¶

If "Until Date/Time" is past when task executes, workflow continues immediately (no delay).

How accurate are delays?¶

Very accurate:

• Seconds: ±1 second
• Minutes: ±5 seconds
• Hours/Days: Within 1 minute

Related Tasks¶

• Timer Trigger - For recurring delays/scheduling
• Date Formatter - Calculate future dates
• If Task - Conditional delays
• Loop Task - Delays within loops
• Email Task - Most common task after delays