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Overview#
The Delay API in Pipedream is a built-in function that allows you to pause a workflow for a specified amount of time. This can be incredibly useful when you need to stagger API calls to avoid rate limits, wait for an external process to complete, or simply introduce a delay between actions in a sequence. With precision up to milliseconds, the Delay API provides a simple yet powerful tool for managing timing in automation workflows.
export default defineComponent({
async run({steps, $}) {
// Specify the amount of time to delay your workflow in milliseconds
return $.flow.delay(5000)
},
})
Example Use Cases#
Scheduled Content Release: Automate a content publication process where blog posts or social media updates are staggered over time. After an initial post is published, use the Delay API to wait for a few hours before the next piece of content goes live.
Rate Limit Management: When working with APIs that have strict rate limits, you can insert a delay between requests to stay within the rate limit. For example, after making an API call to fetch data from an app like Twitter, add a delay before making another call.
Drip Email Campaigns: For marketing automation, you can use the Delay API to send out a series of emails over a period of days or weeks. After sending an initial welcome email using an email service like SendGrid, apply a delay before sending a follow-up email offering a discount or additional information.
Popular Delay Integrations#
Popular Delay Actions#
Delay the execution of your workflow for a specific amount of time (does not count against your compute time).
Trusted by 1,000,000+ developers from startups to Fortune 500 companies