Delay timers give you precise control over when each step in your automation sequence sends, so your communications reach contacts at the right time, on the right day, without manual follow-up.

Most business owners set up a sequence and assume it runs on its own schedule. Delay timers let you go further. Space out emails and tasks by minutes, hours, days, or weeks, and restrict sends to specific days of the week or times of day. Your automated follow-ups feel personal and timely instead of robotic and random.

Use delay timers in the campaign builder to keep leads warm between touchpoints, follow up after appointments without lifting a finger, and make sure no message lands at 2am on a Sunday.

How to Add a Delay Timer to Your Sequence

1.  the sequence you wish to edit on the canvas.
2. Add Delay Timer in your sequence
   
   
3. The default delay schedule shows up on the schedule summary. This schedule is applied if you save the timer without changing any settings.

4. As you modify the timer settings, the summary updates so you can confirm the revised schedule before saving it.
   
   
   

   Pro-Tip! You can override the default time zone with the time zone of the contact record so that your emails send at the most appropriate time for their time zone.
   
    

   

   • Wait at least: The wait settings configure the minimum required delay for the next sequence piece(s). Use the arrows to choose a numerical value and then select a unit of time from the dropdown. If minutes or hours are selected, the timer will schedule the following sequence piece on the same day, as long as the Run on setting has not been passed for that day. If it has, then the automation will continue on the next acceptable day and time. The Week Day(s) option does not include Saturday or Sundays when scheduling the next step in your automation.

   • Run on: The run settings allow you to choose acceptable days, weeks, and / or months. They configure the day and date limitations. The wait settings are taken into account first, then the system looks at the run settings to identify the first acceptable day or date. These settings are very flexible, so you should check the timer summary updates to verify they are configured as expected.

     Pro Tip! Only one type of timer can be used per "Start" button. Meaning, no Start > Email > Delay Timer > Task > Date Timer. The Date Time would need to be on it's own "Start" button.

     • Weekday: This limits the acceptable days to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. If the wait setting alone would schedule a piece to go out on Saturday, the run setting will make sure the piece does not go out until the following Monday.
     • Weekend: This limits the acceptable days to Saturday and Sunday and will hold sequence pieces until one of these two days.
     • Day Of Week: This allows you to define a limited number of acceptable days based on their position in the month, specific day(s), and /or specific month(s). If you use this setting, the timer will delay the specified wait time, then run on the next acceptable day you define here.
     • Day of Month: This allows you to define a limited number of acceptable calendar dates based on their position in the month, specific day(s), and /or specific month(s). If you use this setting, the timer will delay the specified wait time, then run on the next acceptable date that you define here.
   • At or Between: The At / Between setting allows you to define the acceptable time, or window of time, for the sequence pieces to run (based on U.S. Eastern Time.) The between option is only available when the time unit assigned to the wait setting is minutes or hours or if "no delay" is selected. This setting makes it easy for you to confine automated communications to the hours associated with a standard work day.
5. Click Save to apply the revised timer schedule.
6. Repeat this process to configure or modify the schedule for the rest of the sequence timers.