Delay Utilities

Delay Utilities nodes allow you to control when a workflow continues execution.
They are used to pause a workflow for a specific duration or until a specific date and time.

Delays are essential for:

  • Rate limiting API calls
  • Scheduling follow-up actions
  • Waiting for external systems to update
  • Creating time-based automation logic
  • Preventing immediate execution of downstream steps

puq.ai provides two delay nodes:

  1. Delay For
  2. Delay Until

How Delays Work

When a Delay node is reached during execution:

  • The workflow pauses at that step
  • No further steps are executed until the delay condition is satisfied
  • Once the delay completes, execution continues automatically
  • Delay nodes do not block other workflows or executions

Delays are handled asynchronously and are safe to use in production workflows.

Delay For

Description

Delay For pauses the workflow for a specified amount of time.

This is useful when you need to wait for a fixed duration before continuing.

Parameters

  • Unit (select box)
    Determines the time unit for the delay:
    • Seconds
    • Minutes
    • Hours
    • Days
  • Amount (number)
    Specifies how many units the workflow should wait.

Example Configurations

  • Delay for 30 seconds
  • Delay for 5 minutes
  • Delay for 2 hours
  • Delay for 1 day

Common Use Cases

  • Waiting before sending a follow-up message
  • Throttling API requests
  • Adding cooldown periods between actions
  • Creating retry buffers after failures

Delay Until

Description

Delay Until pauses the workflow until a specific date and time.

This is ideal for scheduling actions at an exact moment.

Parameters

  • Date and Time
    A combined date and time selector:
    • Select a date
    • Select a time

The workflow resumes execution precisely at the selected moment.

Example Scenarios

  • Resume workflow at 2025-01-01 09:00
  • Schedule an action for tomorrow at 10:30
  • Delay until a campaign launch date
  • Execute reminders at a fixed time

Delay For vs Delay Until

FeatureDelay ForDelay Until
Uses duration✅❌
Uses specific date/time❌✅
Relative timing✅❌
Absolute scheduling❌✅
Dynamic waiting✅⚠️ (static time)

Best Practices

  • Use Delay For when timing depends on execution flow
  • Use Delay Until for calendar-based scheduling
  • Avoid extremely long delays when frequent re-evaluation is required
  • Combine delays with Router or Conditions for advanced timing logic

Summary

Delay Utilities give you precise control over workflow timing:

  • Delay For — wait a specific amount of time
  • Delay Until — wait until a fixed date and time

They are essential for building reliable, time-aware automations in puq.ai.