Delay Activity

Purpose: Delay execution for the specified amount of time. This activity pauses workflow execution for a given duration before continuing.

Input Properties

TimeSpan

The amount of time to delay execution. Can be specified in various time units.

Type: TimeSpan

Default: 1 minute

Required: Yes

Note: Can be specified as a TimeSpan literal, expression, or using helper methods like FromSeconds, FromMinutes, etc.

Examples:

  • 00:00:30 - 30 seconds
  • 00:05:00 - 5 minutes
  • 01:00:00 - 1 hour
  • FromSeconds(10) - 10 seconds
  • FromMinutes(5) - 5 minutes

Output Properties

This activity has no output properties.

Usage Example

Scenario: Wait 30 seconds before processing

Configuration:
- TimeSpan: "00:00:30" or "{{ TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30) }}"

Result:
- Workflow execution pauses for 30 seconds
- After the delay, execution continues to the next activity
Scenario: Dynamic delay based on a variable

Configuration:
- TimeSpan: "{{ TimeSpan.FromMinutes(Variables.DelayMinutes) }}"

Result:
- The delay duration is calculated from the DelayMinutes variable
- Workflow pauses for the calculated amount of time

Important Notes

  • The workflow execution is paused during the delay
  • The workflow instance remains active but suspended during the delay
  • Use this for rate limiting, waiting for external processes, or scheduled delays
  • For scheduled execution at a specific time, use StartAt or Cron activities
  • Delays are persisted - if the workflow is stopped, it will resume after the delay when restarted
  • Very long delays may impact workflow instance storage and performance
  • TimeSpan format: HH:MM:SS or DD.HH:MM:SS for days

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