Delay
Pause workflow execution for a fixed duration or until a specific date and time.
The Delay node pauses execution before continuing to downstream nodes. Use it to rate-limit API calls, wait for external systems to process data, or schedule follow-up actions at a future time.
Configuration
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| delayType | enum | No | duration (default) waits for a fixed amount of time. until waits until a specific date and time. |
| amount | number | When delayType is duration | Number of time units to wait. Defaults to 5. |
| unit | enum | When delayType is duration | Time unit: seconds, minutes, hours, or days. Defaults to seconds. |
| until | string | When delayType is until | ISO datetime string specifying when execution should resume. |
Short vs. Long Delays
Delays under 30 seconds execute inline -- the workflow engine holds the execution in memory and resumes it after the timer fires. Delays longer than 30 seconds are persisted to the database and resumed by the scheduler. This means the workflow can survive container restarts during long delays.
All delays are capped at a maximum of 7 days regardless of the configured value.
Output
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| resumedAt | string | ISO timestamp of when execution resumed (or will resume for persisted delays). |
| delayMs | number | Actual delay duration in milliseconds. |
Example
Wait 10 minutes after sending a welcome email before sending a follow-up survey.
Delay Type: Wait for duration
Amount: 10
Unit: MinutesThe workflow pauses for 10 minutes, then continues to the next node. Since the delay exceeds 30 seconds, it is persisted and will survive a server restart.