The Delay action allows you to set a pause between steps in your automation scenario. For example, you can set a delay before sending the next message after a certain period of time.
How to set up a delay:
Create an "Action" block in your scenario.
In the block settings, select: Delay
Specify the delay duration for the next step in seconds, minutes, hours, or days.
For example, if you want the bot to send a new message after 5 minutes, select 5 minutes:
Interrupting the delay: If the client triggers another automation after the delay is paused, the current delay will be interrupted. To avoid this, enable the "Work without interruption" option.
Learn more about working without interruption
Delay until the next day:
If you want the next message to be sent not immediately after the client reaches a certain step in the automation, but the next day, you can select the "On the next day" option and specify the time.
For example, if you choose 10:00, even if the client triggers the automation at 02:00, the delay will work after 32 hours, meaning the next day at 10:00.
Important! The system uses UTC+0 time zone, so take the difference with the local time into account when setting the delay.
For example, If you want the delay to happen at 10:00 in LA, you need to set the delay for 17:00 UTC+0, because Pacific Time is 7 hours behind UTC+0.
Delay on the same day:
To avoid confusion, you can use the "On the same day" option. In this case, if the client triggers the automation at 02:00 UTC+0, the delay will work after 8 hours, meaning at 10:00 UTC+0.
Additional parameters:
Days of the week: You can select which days of the week the delay should be applied. For example, if you want the delay to apply only on weekdays, simply check them.
What happens if the client reaches the block with the delay later than the set time?
If the client reaches the block after the set time, the delay will be ignored, and the scenario will continue immediately.
Delay with dates:
For more precise settings, you can select a specific date and time when the delay should occur. If the client reaches the block later than this time, the delay will not apply, and the scenario will continue immediately.
To make it easier, you can use the calendar in the top right corner of the date field.
Important nuances and limitations that may prevent the delay from working or cause the automation to break:
Instagram restriction: Instagram has a 24-hour dialog window rule. This means that the chatbot can only send messages within 24 hours from the last activity of the client in your Direct messages. Therefore, it is not recommended to use delays longer than 23 hours in Instagram automations. Learn more about the 24-hour window.
To bypass this limitation, you can use buttons in the scenario:
Send a message with a button.
After the button is clicked, send another message.
Then set a delay of no more than 23 hours. Clicking the button will reset the 24-hour timer, and the scenario will continue.
Launch from comment: The delay cannot be the starting block when launching automation from a comment. This is because comments do not activate the 24-hour dialog window, so the scenario simply won’t start.
Also, if there is a delay immediately after the first message, the second message cannot be sent because only one message can be sent in response to a comment.
Important: When working with delays on Instagram, keep these restrictions in mind: Launch from comment.
Changing the delay time: If you edit the delay time, it will only apply to new users who reach the block after the change. For clients who have already passed through the delay or are currently at this block, the changes will not apply.
Deleting a delay or connection arrow: If you delete the delay or the connection arrow after the delay block, the chain for this client will be interrupted.
Multiple delays in one automation: If there are several branches with delays in one automation, all of them will work if the client passes through those branches. It is important to note that the scenario may duplicate if the client enters multiple branches with delays.