Overview
The Wait node pauses a running workflow until a specific date and time, then continues with the next node. It lets a workflow act on a schedule that depends on your data, such as an activation date or an install date.
In this article, we'll be covering what the Wait node does, how to configure it, and how to troubleshoot common issues.
Understanding when to use the Wait node
Use the Wait node when the next step should only happen at a known point in time.
- Send a reminder the day before an install
- Activate a service on the customer's activation date
- Follow up on a ticket a set time after it's created
The Wait node isn't the right choice in every case:
- To pause until another workflow finishes, use the Wait for Workflow Execution node.
- To run a workflow on a recurring schedule, use a Schedule trigger. See Understanding workflow trigger types.
Understanding how the Wait node works
When the workflow reaches the Wait node, it checks the date and time you provided.
- If the date and time is in the future, the workflow pauses at the Wait node. The node shows a status of Waiting.
- When the date and time arrives, the workflow resumes and continues to the next node.
- If the date and time is already in the past, the node completes immediately and the workflow keeps going.
The Wait node doesn't produce any output. Use it to control timing, not to pass data.
While a Wait node is waiting, it isn't running anything. Other parts of the workflow, such as other iterations of a loop, can keep running. You can cancel the execution at any time. Cancelling stops the pending steps and the workflow won't resume.
Cancelling a workflow doesn't undo steps that already ran, and a cancelled execution can't be resumed.
Configuring the Wait node
The Wait node has one required input.
ISO Date Time
The moment the workflow should resume, written in ISO 8601 format. For example:
2026-11-01T14:30:00Z
The Z at the end means UTC. Include it so the wait ends at the moment you expect. A timezone offset such as -05:00 works too.
A workflow can wait for up to about one year (365 days). If you set a later date and time, the workflow resumes at about the one-year mark instead.
The value is often set from earlier data. Use the selector next to the field to choose how to provide it: Literal, Typescript, State, Secret, or Variable. See Understanding node input types for how each one works.
For example, to wait until a day before an install date returned by an earlier node, choose Typescript and return the new date:
const { dayjs_v1 } = utils.packages;
return dayjs_v1(state.steps['get-work-order'].output.installdate).subtract(1, 'day').toISOString();
The example uses dayjs, which is available in every workflow function through utils. See Using utils in Workflow Functions for more on working with dates.
Adding a Wait node to a workflow
- In the Graph View, click the + icon where you want the workflow to pause.
- In the Add node window, select Utilities.
- Select Wait, then click Add.
- In the node's side panel, set ISO Date Time to the moment the workflow should resume.
Monitoring a waiting workflow
Workflows paused at a Wait node appear in the executions list as Ongoing, and the Wait node shows Waiting in the execution view. Open the execution to see which node it's paused on.
Troubleshooting common issues
The node failed with an invalid date and time error
The date and time wasn't in ISO 8601 format. The error reads: The given datetime must be in an ISO format. ex: 2023-01-01T14:30:00Z. Check the value in the node's input, and make sure an expression returns a full date and time string rather than a date alone or a number.
The workflow didn't wait
If the date and time is in the past when the node runs, the node completes immediately. Check that the value you're passing is in the future and in the timezone you expect.
The workflow resumed at the wrong time
A date and time with no timezone can shift the resume time by several hours. Include the timezone, such as Z for UTC.
The workflow resumed earlier than expected
Waits are capped at about one year. If the date and time you set is more than a year away, the workflow resumes at the one-year mark.
The workflow is waiting longer than expected
Open the execution and check the date and time the Wait node received. Its input shows the exact value it's waiting for.