The Wait action pauses a contact at a specific step in a workflow until a set condition is met. It's useful when you need to wait for a particular time, a contact reply, or an event before moving the contact forward.
To insert this action between workflow steps, click the plus sign between the steps and select "Wait" from the options.
📌NOTE: The Wait step can be set up using two distinct types of events. Let's take a closer look!
Time-based
These cover anything that needs to happen within a specific time frame. The available options for time-based events are:
Time Delay
This lets you set a fixed amount of time before the contact moves to the next step. To set it up, add the amount of time the workflow should wait before moving the contact forward.
Event/Appointment Time
This lets you time the workflow around an event or appointment, for example, one day before an appointment. When setting a Wait step for an event, add the Set Event Start Date action first, then set the time you want the contact to move forward in the workflow.
Overdue
This lets you schedule messages to be sent a set amount of time after an invoice's payment date. When configuring this Wait step, make sure you've included a trigger or action that ensures contacts receive the invoice first; otherwise they may get stuck at this step.
Setting an Event/Appointment Time or Overdue Wait Step
Select when you want the next step to happen. You can choose before, after, or an exact time relative to the event.
Once set, pick an option for what the workflow should do if the contact enters the automation after that time has passed.
Advance Window
To limit the days or hours during which a contact can advance, enable Advance Window.
CRM Events
These options are for situations where a user or contact action is needed before the automation can progress. The available options include:
Condition
This pauses the automation until the contact completes or updates a specific field. To configure it, select the contact detail you want to monitor.
Select the operator then add the response you want.
Contact Reply
This keeps the contact in the wait step until they reply to a previously sent message. To use it, select the step you want the contact to have replied to.
Trigger Link Clicked
This keeps the contact in the wait step until they click the selected Trigger Link.
Email Event
This keeps the contact in the wait step until they interact with a previously sent email in a specific way. To use it, first select the Email Step you want the contact to interact with.
Then select the action you want the contact to have performed for the email.
Timeout
If the condition needs to be met within a specific timeframe, you can set a timeout by toggling the option and entering the timeframe.
This creates two branches: one for when the condition is met, and one for when the timeframe expires.
Saving The Wait Action
Once you've set the conditions for your Wait action, click Save action and you're done.
You can now set up Wait steps wherever needed, ensuring contacts move through the workflow at exactly the right time.