How do I use the Delay node in Orchestrator?

The Delay node holds a Flow for a set amount of time, then lets it continue. It answers one question: how long should we wait before the next step?

In this article, we will learn more about the Delay node and how to set it up, ensuring your Flows wait for the right moment before taking the next step.

Table of Contents

• What Is the Delay Node?
• How to Set It Up
• Why Use a Delay
• Good to Know

What Is the Delay Node?

The Delay node holds a Flow for a set amount of time, then lets it continue.

For example, a prospect no-shows at 2 PM. Instead of firing a re-engagement email at 2:10 PM, which can feel automated, add a Delay of two hours before the Sales Engagement node. The Flow waits, then continues.

How to Set It Up

The Delay node has two fields: a number and a unit (seconds, minutes, or hours). The minimum is one. The node displays the wait time directly on the canvas, for example "Wait 2 hours," so the timing is visible without opening the node.

Why Use a Delay

• Timing is part of the message: when a prospect submits a form but does not schedule a call, waiting an hour or two before adding them to a sequence and alerting the owner makes the outreach feel more natural;
• Safety between Chili Piper Flows: when an Orchestrator Flow acts on data that Concierge or Handoff updates after a meeting is booked, add a Delay after the Trigger node so the CRM update lands before Orchestrator reads it.
• Safety between third-party systems: when a connected tool syncs with the CRM on a schedule, such as Salesloft or Outreach converting Salesforce Leads to People once a day, add a Delay that matches the typical sync time so the Sales Engagement node does not fail because the record does not exist yet.

Note: Add a Delay before a second Matching node when CRM data is expected to land after the Trigger fires. This gives the record time to be created before the Flow attempts to match it.

Good to Know

• The minimum Delay is one unit (second, minute, or hour); a Delay of zero is not supported.