Docs / Strand / nodes/delay

Delay Node

The Delay node adds a delay before continuing to the next node.

The Delay node's Configuration, showing the wait duration in milliseconds. The workflow-level timeout does not tick during a delay.

Overview#

Delay nodes pause workflow execution for a specified duration.

Use Cases
  • Rate limiting
  • Waiting for external processes
  • Throttling requests
  • Scheduled delays

Configuration#

Field Type Required Description
ms integer Yes Delay in milliseconds (maximum 60000, or 60 seconds)
Maximum delay is 60 seconds

ms is hard-capped at 60,000 ms. Any larger value is silently clamped to 60 seconds; for example, 300000 (5 minutes) runs as a 60-second delay. For longer waits, use a scheduled trigger or external scheduling instead.

Examples#

Simple Delay#

Configuration:

json

{
  "ms": 1000
}

Delays for 1 second (1000 milliseconds).

Dynamic Delay#

Configuration:

json

{
  "ms": "{{ payload.delay_ms | default(5000) }}"
}

Uses delay from payload, defaults to 5 seconds.

Common Delays#

Duration Milliseconds
1 second 1000
5 seconds 5000
10 seconds 10000
1 minute (maximum) 60000

Best Practices#

Tips
  1. Use delays sparingly (they slow down workflows)
  2. Consider using scheduled triggers instead
  3. Use for rate limiting when needed
  4. Remember the 60-second cap: longer values are clamped to 60s
  5. Document why delays are needed
Performance

Delays block workflow execution. For long delays, consider using scheduled triggers or external scheduling.