Delay Node

The Delay node pauses event forwarding for a configurable duration. Events are held in the pipeline and only continue to the next node after the delay period expires — useful for rate pacing, debouncing, and time-sensitive workflows.

Overview

When an event reaches a Delay node, it is placed in a holding state with status DELAYED. After the configured number of seconds, the event is released and continues through the pipeline to the connected downstream nodes. The delay is implemented via BullMQ delayed jobs, ensuring reliability even across service restarts.

On the canvas, Delay nodes appear as slate rectangles. They can be placed between any two nodes in the pipeline to introduce a pause.

Configuration

Field	Type	Default	Description
name	string	—	Friendly label for the delay node
delaySeconds	number	—	Number of seconds to delay event forwarding
isActive	boolean	true	Whether the delay is enabled (when disabled, events pass through immediately)
inputNodes	{ nodeType, nodeId }[]	[]	Upstream nodes that feed this one. nodeType is the node kind (webhook, scheduledWorkflow, filter, …)

ℹThe maximum allowed delay depends on your plan. Free plans support delays up to 300 seconds (5 minutes), Pro up to 3600 seconds (1 hour), and Enterprise has no limit.

Create a Delay Node

bashCreate Delay Node

curl -X POST /api/delay-nodes \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "5-Minute Cooldown",
    "delaySeconds": 300,
    "isActive": true,
    "inputNodes": [{ "nodeType": "webhook", "nodeId": "6654a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0" }]
  }'

Response

json201 Created

{
  "_id": "6655c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8",
  "name": "5-Minute Cooldown",
  "delaySeconds": 300,
  "isActive": true,
  "inputNodes": [{ "nodeType": "webhook", "nodeId": "6654a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0" }],
  "ownerId": "org_abc123",
  "createdAt": "2025-05-01T12:00:00.000Z",
  "updatedAt": "2025-05-01T12:00:00.000Z"
}

Update a Delay Node

bashUpdate Delay Node

curl -X PATCH /api/delay-nodes/6655c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "delaySeconds": 600,
    "name": "10-Minute Cooldown"
  }'

⚠Changing delaySeconds only affects future events. Events already in the DELAYED state will complete their original delay period.

Canvas Integration

The Delay node uses canvas type delay-node and renders in slate. It is placed inline between nodes to introduce a pause in the pipeline flow.

jsonCanvas node data

{
  "id": "delay-6655c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8",
  "type": "delay-node",
  "position": { "x": 350, "y": 200 },
  "data": {
    "label": "5-Minute Cooldown",
    "delayNodeId": "6655c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8",
    "delaySeconds": 300,
    "isActive": true
  }
}

Payload Examples

Event entering delay

jsonEvent status: DELAYED

{
  "_id": "evt_9987e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4",
  "webhookId": "6654a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0",
  "status": "DELAYED",
  "payload": {
    "type": "order.created",
    "data": { "orderId": "ORD-789", "amount": 4500 }
  },
  "delayNodeId": "6655c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8",
  "delayUntil": "2025-05-01T12:05:00.000Z",
  "createdAt": "2025-05-01T12:00:00.000Z"
}

Event after delay expires

Once the delay period expires, the event's status changes and it continues through the pipeline with its original payload intact:

jsonEvent released

{
  "_id": "evt_9987e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4",
  "webhookId": "6654a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0",
  "status": "pending",
  "payload": {
    "type": "order.created",
    "data": { "orderId": "ORD-789", "amount": 4500 }
  },
  "delayNodeId": "6655c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8",
  "delayedAt": "2025-05-01T12:00:00.000Z",
  "releasedAt": "2025-05-01T12:05:00.000Z",
  "createdAt": "2025-05-01T12:00:00.000Z"
}

Use Cases

Rate pacing — Add a delay between event processing to avoid overwhelming rate-limited downstream APIs.
Debouncing — Delay processing to allow time for duplicate or updated events to arrive (combine with a Merge node).
Scheduled follow-ups — Delay a notification by 30 minutes after an order is placed to send a "still processing" message.
Retry spacing — Insert delays between chained webhook calls to give downstream services time to recover.
Business hours processing — Combine a Delay with a Filter to hold events until they can be processed during business hours.

API Reference

Method	Webhook	Description
GET	/api/delay-nodes	List all delay nodes
POST	/api/delay-nodes	Create a new delay node
GET	/api/delay-nodes/:id	Get a specific delay node
PATCH	/api/delay-nodes/:id	Update a delay node
DELETE	/api/delay-nodes/:id	Delete a delay node

✦When a delay node is disabled (isActive: false), events pass through immediately without any pause — useful for temporarily bypassing the delay during debugging.