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¶

Builder fields¶

The Field column is the label as it appears in the task builder; Key is the name the value is stored under and referenced by.

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¶

Wait before following up¶

Form Submission
  └─ Email    send the welcome message
      └─ Delay   3 days
          └─ Email   "Did you get everything you needed?"

Pause until a specific date¶

CRM Trigger
  └─ Delay    until the renewal date on the client record
      └─ SMS  send the renewal reminder

{{task_7001_date_trigger}} reports exactly when the workflow will resume, which is the field to check if a delay does not fire when you expected.

Outputs¶

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