Delay
Pauses the process for a period of time, or until a date and time, before it continues with the next step.
Delay pauses the process and then continues with the next step. You can wait for a period of time (for example 30 minutes) or until a date and time (for example 3 December at 15:00 UTC). Use it to space out API calls, to send a reminder a few days later, or to start work at a given time.
Add the action
In the Process Designer toolbox, pick Delay (or type Delay in the search box), then click the Configure Action card.
In Configure Action, choose the Delay Type:
- Wait for a specific period of time: set the amount and the unit in Delay value.
- Wait until: set a date and time in Delay value. It is in UTC.
Below, you can optionally override that default with values computed while the process runs.
Inputs and outputs
| Field | Direction | Type | Required | What to put / what you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delay Type | Input | Choice | Yes | Wait for a specific period of time (default) or Wait until. |
| Delay value | Input | Amount + unit, or date and time | Yes | The default wait. For a period: a whole number and a unit: Second(s), Minute(s), Hour(s), Day(s), Week(s), Month(s) or Year(s). For Wait until: a date and time in UTC. |
| Runtime Amount | Input | Integer | No | Replaces the amount of Delay value when it has a value. Period only. |
| Runtime Interval | Input | Text | No | Replaces the unit of Delay value when it has a value. Period only. Accepted (any case): second(s), seconds, second, sec, s, minute(s), minutes, minute, min, m, hour(s), hours, hour, h, day(s), days, day, d, week(s), weeks, week, w, month(s), months, month, year(s), years, year, y. |
| Wait until (UTC) | Input | Date and time | No | Replaces the date of Delay value when it has a value. Wait until only. |
Delay has no outputs.
Example
- Wait for a specific period of time, Delay value
30Minute(s) → the next step starts about 30 minutes later. - Same, with Runtime Amount mapped to a variable holding
2and Runtime Interval to a variable holdingh→ the process waits 2 hours. - Wait until, Delay value
2026-12-03 15:00→ the process continues on 3 December 2026 at 15:00 UTC.
Good to know
- Fill in Delay value even when you use the runtime fields. It is required, and the runtime fields only replace the parts they hold.
mmeans minutes. There is no short form for months; writemonthormonths.- Wait until is in UTC. Convert local times first, for example with Timezone Converter.
- A date in the past makes the step fail with "Invalid DateTime. Date was set in the past". Inside a For Each, a past date does not fail: the delay is simply skipped.
- An unknown Runtime Interval fails with "Invalid runtime period type."
- Delays of 30 seconds or less keep the process running while it waits. Longer delays put the run to sleep and resume it at the set time.
- Delay cannot be run with Test Action; run the whole process to try it.