Who This Is For / When to Use
Use the Wait action when you need to:
Delay follow-ups by a fixed amount of time.
Resume workflows relative to appointments or invoices.
Pause automation until a contact replies, clicks a link, or meets a condition.
Control messaging timing during business hours.
What the Wait Action Does
The Wait action temporarily stops workflow execution for a contact.
The contact moves forward only when the selected wait rule is satisfied or when a timeout rule applies.
How to Add a Wait Action
Step 1: Open a Workflow
Go to Automations → Workflows.
Create a new workflow or edit an existing one.
Click the + icon to add an action.
Step 2: Select the Wait Action
In the Actions panel, search for Wait.
Select Wait under Internal actions.
Wait Types and Configuration Options
Time-Based Waits
Time Delay
Waits for a fixed amount of time (minutes, hours, or days).
Key options:
Set the delay duration.
Enable Advance Window to count time only during specific days and hours.
Example use case:
Wait 10 minutes before sending a follow-up SMS, but only during business hours.
Event / Appointment Time
Waits until before, after, or at the exact time of an event or appointment.
Key requirements:
A Set Event Start Time action must exist earlier in the workflow.
Appointment waits require an Appointment Status trigger.
If the event time is already in the past, you can:
Move the contact to the next step.
Skip outbound communications until the next wait or event action.
Overdue
Waits until before or after an invoice due date.
Best used for:
Payment reminders
Escalation workflows for unpaid invoices
Condition-Based Waits (Kyrios Events)
Condition
Waits until a specific condition is met (for example, a tag is added).
Configuration:
Add one or more segments (conditions).
Choose whether any or all conditions must be met.
Optionally enable a timeout so contacts do not wait indefinitely.
Example:
Wait until a contact has the tag “demo”.
Contact Reply
Waits for a contact to reply to a specific communication step.
Requirements:
The wait step should immediately follow the message action.
Supported reply types include SMS, Email, and Live Chat.
Optional:
Enable Timeout to move contacts forward if no reply occurs.
Trigger Link Clicked
Waits until a specific trigger link is clicked.
Configuration:
Select the trigger link.
Enable Timeout if the click does not occur.
Example use case:
Wait for a pricing link click before assigning a sales task.
Email Event
Waits for a specific email event such as:
Opened
Clicked
Unsubscribed
Complained (SPAM)
Bounced (Mailgun only)
Configuration:
Select the email step.
Choose one or more events to wait for.
Optionally enable a timeout.
Timeout and Branching Behavior
When a timeout is enabled:
The workflow creates two branches:
Condition Met
Timed Out
Each branch can have different follow-up actions.
Contacts waiting at this step can be reviewed and managed using execution stats, including their Next Execution Time.
Skip Outbound Communication Option
When enabled, this option skips Email, SMS, Call, and Voicemail actions between:
The current Wait step
The next Wait or Event Start Date action
This is commonly used in reminder workflows to stop “nudge” messages once an appointment is booked.
Common Issues and Fixes
The Wait step never completes
Confirm the selected event or condition can actually occur.
Add a timeout if the condition may never be met.
Contact Reply wait does not trigger
Ensure the wait step directly follows the message action.
Avoid placing If/Else actions between the message and the wait.
Event or Appointment wait does nothing
Confirm a Set Event Start Time action exists earlier.
Verify the trigger type supports appointment timing.
Pro Tips
Use Advance Window to prevent messages from sending outside business hours.
Pair Condition waits with timeouts to avoid stuck contacts.
Use Email Event waits to branch logic based on engagement behavior.
Keep Wait actions close to the actions they depend on for reliability.