The Smart Delay step is a powerful feature that lets you add a customizable delay to your automation, helping you better control the timing of messages. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how it works and how to use it effectively.
How to set up a Smart Delay step
To add a Smart Delay block, click on the round button in the upper-right corner of the screen or double-click any empty space in the Flow Builder. Then, select the Smart Delay block from the list:
The Smart Delay block offers two types: Duration and Date.
Delay type: Duration
Enter the amount of time you want the automation to wait before the next step in the Delay duration field. Choose the unit of time (minutes, hours, or days) from the drop-down menu.
If you want the automation to proceed only during specific hours, check the Set continue time limit box. Use the Continue between fields to set the time range when the automation can resume (e.g., 8:00–22:00).
If needed, select specific days for the automation to proceed from the drop-down menu (e.g., Any Day).
Click Choose Next Step to determine what will happen after the Smart Delay ends.
Delay type: Date
You can also change the Delay type to Date, allowing the block to fire at a specific date and time instead of using an abstract timer.
Use the dropdown menu to choose between Specific Date or Dynamic Date.
Specific Date: Manually enter the exact date and time when you want the automation to resume:
Dynamic Date: Select a date from your Custom User Fields. If you want the delay to occur a certain amount of time before or after the selected date, check the Offset box and use the dropdown menus to add or subtract time in minutes, hours, or days:
Click Choose Next Step to determine what will happen after the Smart Delay ends.
⚠️ Important: The Smart Delay uses the contact's time zone. If the contact's time zone is unknown, your account's time zone will be used instead.
⚠️ Important: If the automation is paused due to an admin's action (e.g., sending a message to a contact), the pause duration will be added to the Smart Delay time.
Smart Delay statistics
The Smart Delay statistics reflect how many people are at each stage of the delay:
- Overall: The total number of people who entered the Smart Delay.
- Waiting: The number of people currently going through the Smart Delay who have not yet proceeded to receive follow-up messages.
- Passed: The number of people who have successfully completed the Smart Delay and moved to the next step.
By clicking on the Smart Delay block, you can also see detailed statistics, including Total and Unique counts for contacts who have entered, are waiting, or have passed through the Smart Delay step:
Smart Delay and message deliverability
⚠️ Note: A Smart Delay does not reopen the 24-hour window.
This means that if a contact interacts with your automation and then enters a Smart Delay lasting longer than 24 hours, a regular message will not be delivered. However, some contacts may still receive the message if they reopen the 24-hour window later, for example, by sending a message in DMs.
To send messages after a Smart Delay lasting longer than 24 hours:
- Instagram and Messenger: Follow the instructions in this article for setting up the message block that follows this Smart Delay.
- WhatsApp: Use a Message Template after the Smart Delay.
- Telegram: No additional setup is required, as this channel does not have a 24-hour window limitation.