Delay Node: Pause a Flow Before the Next Step

The Delay node pauses a flow before moving on. Use it to space messages or wait before a follow-up, while respecting Instagram’s reply window.

Setup

1. Add a Delay step.
2. Enter the duration and choose seconds, minutes, hours or days.
3. Connect the next step.
4. Preview the path and test its timing from another account.

How timing works

The wait is saved before the flow pauses. A first short delay of up to 30 seconds can resume in the background. Longer waits and recovery depend on the scheduler, so the selected duration is a minimum wait rather than a promise of delivery at an exact second.

Nothing downstream runs until the delay is due and the flow remains eligible to continue. An unavailable scheduler can prevent publication or postpone delivery.

Instagram’s reply window

Scheduled flow messages only send while the Instagram reply window is open. AP3K checks the conversation window again before sending; a wait beyond the current window is cancelled rather than used to bypass it. A duration field accepting days does not guarantee that a message can be delivered days later.

Use this for

• A brief pause between related messages.
• A timely follow-up after the contact has engaged.
• Waiting before checking a tracked-link condition.