The Time delay node allows you to pause a flow for a set duration before moving to the next step. This is useful for spacing out follow-ups, sending reminders, or preventing customers from receiving too many messages at once.
ℹ️ Learn more about flow triggers and how to set up enrollment conditions in this article: Flow trigger overview
Here are some common use case for Time delay node:
- Follow-up reminders: Wait 24 hours, then send a reminder if the customer hasn’t replied.
-
Onboarding drips: Space out onboarding messages by 1 day each.
Sales workflows: Pause for 2 hours before escalating a lead to a sales rep, giving them time to reply first.
Event notifications: Delay a message until 30 minutes before an event starts.
Set up "Time delay" node
1. Click on the action node or the button and select “Time delay” 
- The Time delay node allows you to configure the following directly on the flow canvas:
-
Delay duration: Set how long the flow should wait before moving to the next step
-
Time unit: Click the dropdown next to the duration to choose the time unit. You can select:
- Seconds
- Minutes
- Hours
-
Days
💡 Difference between Time delay and Wait for reply node
Although both nodes control when the flow continues, they serve different purposes:
-
Time delay node
- Pauses the flow for a fixed amount of time without requiring any action from the customer.
- Best for predictable wait times, such as reminders or scheduled follow-ups.
-
Example: Wait 24 hours, then send a “Don’t forget to reply” message.
-
Wait for reply node
- Pauses the flow until a specific event happens (e.g., a customer reply or label change).
- Best for branching based on customer engagement.
- Example: Wait until the customer replies, then continue down the matching branch. If no reply after 24 hours, trigger a timeout action.