Action - Wait
The Wait action step makes a person wait before moving to the next step.
This is the action step you will use to create a time-based sequence of emails. For instance, if you'd like to send a lead nurturing email every day, you will add a Wait step with a period of 1 day in between the emails as shown below:
Drag the step onto the canvas area and select it. Then choose the period a person has to wait before continuing to the next step.
There are two available options for the time period:
A specific period (selected by default when you start setting up the step)
Until a specific step.
You can select one or the other, or both options simultaneously.
A relative period of time for the person to wait – minutes, hours, or days. For example: "5 days".
The person waits until a specific day and time. Select the day(s) and choose a specific time or period of time. The person will wait on the step until that day and time.
This option offers several options:
When day is - you can choose one or more days from the week (e.g., Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). The step will wait until that day.
When date is - you can choose a specific date of the calendar (e.g., 20.02.2023)
Selecting the time for the wait step:
You can also specify a time - e.g., Exactly 08:00 AM or between 08:00 AM and 10:00 AM. By default, the time option works with your account's timezone. If you select "Use contact's timezone if available" the step will wait until the specified time in the contact's timezone. This means people will get to the next step at different times. If the contact's timezone is unavailable, your account's timezone will be used instead.
For example, you can select all workdays at exactly 9 AM. A person will wait on this step until 9 AM Monday. This is useful if you wish to avoid sending emails on Weekends.
You can use both options simultaneously. That way, a person will wait on the step for a specific period of time and then wait additionally until the specific day and time.
This approach is useful if you want to have a delay before sending the email (or executing another action) but still ensure the email is sent at the specified day(s) and time.
Note that it's not possible for a person to "miss" the waiting period. They will always stay in the wait step until the specified period is reached.
When you're done with the step setup, simply connect it to another action or filter step.
Once the flow is activated, you can see how many people are currently waiting on this step:
If you change the wait time of a Wait step, any people that enter the step in the future will wait as long as the newly changed time.
For people that are currently in the wait step (i.e., people showing under "are here"), you get the option to choose whether to update the wait time for them or only for people that enter the step in the future:
Let's examine a couple of scenarios where you are changing the wait time for people that are already in the step:
Scenario 1: The old wait time was 5 days. People have entered the step 3 days ago. Then, you change the time from 5 days to 10 days. Since people have already been waiting 3 days on this step, it means they will wait 7 more days before they continue to the next step.
Scnerio 2:The old wait time was 5 days. People have entered the step 3 days ago. Then, you change the wait time from 5 days to 1 day instead. Since people have already been waiting for longer than 1 day, they will continue to the next step immediately.
You can manually skip the wait time for a specific person. To do that, click on the Wait step. Go to the People tab, then click on "People that are here", click on the three-dot button to the left of the person, then select "Skip waiting". The person will immediately skip the wait period and proceed to the next step:
You can manually remove a person from a flow if they are currently on a Wait step. Click on the Wait step where the person is waiting, then select the People tab on the right. Then select "People that are here". Click on the three dots icon to the left of the person and "Remove from step". The person will not continue to the next steps.
A day is 24 hours. A waiting period starts counting down from the moment a person enters the step. For instance, if a person enters the step on Tuesday at 9 AM, they will continue to the next step at 9 AM on Wednesday.
This is the action step you will use to create a time-based sequence of emails. For instance, if you'd like to send a lead nurturing email every day, you will add a Wait step with a period of 1 day in between the emails as shown below:
How to set up a Wait action step?
Drag the step onto the canvas area and select it. Then choose the period a person has to wait before continuing to the next step.
There are two available options for the time period:
A specific period (selected by default when you start setting up the step)
Until a specific step.
You can select one or the other, or both options simultaneously.
A specific period
A relative period of time for the person to wait – minutes, hours, or days. For example: "5 days".
Until a specific time
The person waits until a specific day and time. Select the day(s) and choose a specific time or period of time. The person will wait on the step until that day and time.
This option offers several options:
When day is - you can choose one or more days from the week (e.g., Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). The step will wait until that day.
When date is - you can choose a specific date of the calendar (e.g., 20.02.2023)
Selecting the time for the wait step:
You can also specify a time - e.g., Exactly 08:00 AM or between 08:00 AM and 10:00 AM. By default, the time option works with your account's timezone. If you select "Use contact's timezone if available" the step will wait until the specified time in the contact's timezone. This means people will get to the next step at different times. If the contact's timezone is unavailable, your account's timezone will be used instead.
For example, you can select all workdays at exactly 9 AM. A person will wait on this step until 9 AM Monday. This is useful if you wish to avoid sending emails on Weekends.
A specific period and then wait until a specific period
You can use both options simultaneously. That way, a person will wait on the step for a specific period of time and then wait additionally until the specific day and time.
This approach is useful if you want to have a delay before sending the email (or executing another action) but still ensure the email is sent at the specified day(s) and time.
Note that it's not possible for a person to "miss" the waiting period. They will always stay in the wait step until the specified period is reached.
When you're done with the step setup, simply connect it to another action or filter step.
Once the flow is activated, you can see how many people are currently waiting on this step:
Changing the wait time of a Wait step
If you change the wait time of a Wait step, any people that enter the step in the future will wait as long as the newly changed time.
For people that are currently in the wait step (i.e., people showing under "are here"), you get the option to choose whether to update the wait time for them or only for people that enter the step in the future:
Let's examine a couple of scenarios where you are changing the wait time for people that are already in the step:
Scenario 1: The old wait time was 5 days. People have entered the step 3 days ago. Then, you change the time from 5 days to 10 days. Since people have already been waiting 3 days on this step, it means they will wait 7 more days before they continue to the next step.
Scnerio 2:The old wait time was 5 days. People have entered the step 3 days ago. Then, you change the wait time from 5 days to 1 day instead. Since people have already been waiting for longer than 1 day, they will continue to the next step immediately.
Manually skip the wait time for a specific person
You can manually skip the wait time for a specific person. To do that, click on the Wait step. Go to the People tab, then click on "People that are here", click on the three-dot button to the left of the person, then select "Skip waiting". The person will immediately skip the wait period and proceed to the next step:
Manually remove a person on a Wait step
You can manually remove a person from a flow if they are currently on a Wait step. Click on the Wait step where the person is waiting, then select the People tab on the right. Then select "People that are here". Click on the three dots icon to the left of the person and "Remove from step". The person will not continue to the next steps.
Common questions
What does "day" mean in terms of time?
A day is 24 hours. A waiting period starts counting down from the moment a person enters the step. For instance, if a person enters the step on Tuesday at 9 AM, they will continue to the next step at 9 AM on Wednesday.
Updated on: 25/03/2025
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