> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.conversion.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Time Delay

> Pause a contact in your workflow for a fixed duration before they proceed to the next step.

The Time Delay node pauses a contact for a set amount of time before they advance to the next node. Unlike [Wait For](/product-docs/workflows/nodes/wait-for) (which targets specific days and times) or [Wait Until Condition Met](/product-docs/workflows/nodes/wait-until-condition-met) (which waits for a condition), Time Delay applies a simple, fixed pause measured in minutes, hours, days, or weeks.

## Configuration

| Setting      | Description                                                                       |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Duration** | A positive integer specifying the length of the pause. Must be greater than zero. |
| **Unit**     | The time unit for the duration: **Minutes**, **Hours**, **Days**, or **Weeks**.   |

## Behavior

* The timer starts the moment a contact enters the node.
* The delay is **relative** — it is measured from the time the contact enters the node, not from a calendar date or time of day.
* After the configured duration elapses, the contact immediately proceeds to the next node.
* If the workflow is [paused](/product-docs/workflows/pausing-and-resuming), the timer stops counting down. It resumes from where it left off when the workflow is reactivated.

<Info>
  Time Delay does not account for days of the week or time of day. A 1-day delay that starts at 11:00 PM on Friday will complete at 11:00 PM on Saturday, not on Monday morning. If you need calendar-aware timing, use [Wait For](/product-docs/workflows/nodes/wait-for) instead.
</Info>

## Comparison with other delay nodes

| Node                                                                               | Waits for                      | Duration                                     |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
| [Wait Until Condition Met](/product-docs/workflows/nodes/wait-until-condition-met) | A condition to become true     | Indefinite — until condition is met          |
| [Wait For](/product-docs/workflows/nodes/wait-for)                                 | A specific day and time        | Until the next matching day/time window      |
| **Time Delay**                                                                     | A fixed amount of time to pass | Exact duration (minutes, hours, days, weeks) |

## Use cases

* **Follow-up after form submission** — add a 15-minute delay before sending a follow-up email after a form fill
* **Staggered onboarding emails** — insert 2-hour delays between a welcome email and a product tour email
* **Daily drip sequences** — place 1-day delays between steps in a multi-day onboarding series
* **Re-engagement cooldown** — use a 1-week delay before re-engaging leads who didn't respond to an initial outreach