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Delay

The Delay node pauses the execution of a spell for a specified duration before allowing the flow to continue. It is useful for introducing intentional delays or timing intervals between actions in a spell.

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Inputs

  • flow (required): The incoming flow that will be delayed.
  • duration (float, default: 1): The duration of the delay in seconds.

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Outputs

  • flow: The flow output after the specified delay has elapsed.

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Configuration

This node has no additional configuration options.

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Usage

  1. Connect the flow input to the node preceding the Delay node in your spell.
  2. Set the duration input to the desired delay time in seconds. The default value is 1 second if not specified.
  3. Connect the flow output to the next node in your spell that should execute after the delay.
When the spell reaches the Delay node, execution will pause for the specified duration before continuing to the next connected node.

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Example

Here’s an example of how to use the Delay node in a spell: 
1. Start
2. HTTP Request
   URL: https://api.example.com/data
3. Delay
   duration: 5
4. Log
   message: Data received after 5 second delay
5. End
In this example, the spell makes an HTTP request to fetch some data. The Delay node is then used to pause execution for 5 seconds before logging a message and ending the spell. This introduces an intentional delay between the HTTP request and the logging statement.

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Best Practices

  • Use the Delay node sparingly, as excessive delays can make your spells feel slow and unresponsive. Only introduce delays when absolutely necessary.
  • Be mindful of the overall execution time of your spell when adding Delay nodes. Long running spells may hit timeouts or cause performance issues.
  • Consider using the Delay node in combination with other time-based nodes like Cron Schedule or Interval to build powerful automations with precise timing control.

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Common Issues

  • Forgetting to set the duration input will cause the Delay node to use the default value of 1 second, which may not be the intended behavior. Always double check your delay durations.
  • Connecting the flow output of the Delay node back to its own flow input will create an infinite loop that will cause your spell to hang indefinitely. Avoid creating circular flows.