Wait / Delay Block

Pauses workflow execution for a configurable amount of time. Use it to add delays between API calls for rate limiting, wait for external processes, create timed sequences, or add cooldowns between steps.

Overview

When to Use

• Add a pause between API calls to respect provider rate limits
• Wait before checking an external system for status changes (polling patterns)
• Space out messages, emails, or notifications over time in a timed sequence
• Add a buffer between retries or repeated operations as a cooldown period
• Give time for a webhook delivery, file processing, or third-party job to complete before continuing

Configuration

Duration

A required short-input field that accepts a positive number specifying how long to wait. Supports decimals (e.g. 0.5). Variable references are supported — you can pass {{blockName.field}} to drive the delay dynamically from an earlier block's output.

Unit

A required dropdown that selects the time unit for the duration value. The default is seconds.

Inputs & Outputs

• Inputs:

  • duration (number) — How long to wait
  • unit (string) — Time unit (seconds, minutes, or hours)

• Outputs:

  • delayed (boolean) — Whether the delay completed
  • duration (number) — Requested delay duration
  • unit (string) — Time unit used
  • delayMs (number) — Actual delay in milliseconds
  • startedAt (string) — ISO timestamp when delay started
  • completedAt (string) — ISO timestamp when delay completed

Tools

Wait / Delay (delay_wait) — Pauses workflow execution for a specified duration by posting to the internal /api/tools/delay endpoint. Accepts duration (number, required) and unit (string, required — one of seconds, minutes, hours). Returns the six output fields listed above once the delay completes.

YAML Example

delay_1:
  type: delay
  name: "Wait / Delay"
  inputs:
    duration: 5
    unit: seconds
  connections:
    outgoing:
      - target: next-block-id

To drive the delay dynamically from an earlier block:

delay_1:
  type: delay
  name: "Wait / Delay"
  inputs:
    duration: "{{starter.waitSeconds}}"
    unit: seconds
  connections:
    outgoing:
      - target: next-block-id