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
Time delay
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.
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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
- Click on the Time delay node to open up its node form, which will appear on the right side of the screen
- The node form contains the following field for you to set up the trigger:
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Setup tab
- Delay duration: Enter how long the flow should wait before moving to the next step
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Time unit: Choose the time unit for the wait time. 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:
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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
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Example: Wait 24 hours, then send a “Don’t forget to reply” message
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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