Skip to content
English
More support Sign in
Go to patchretention.com
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Delay Action Block

How this block works and when to use it.

What's in this article

 

 

Summary

The Delay block waits before running the next block. Use it to time messages and avoid spamming and create drip campaigns.

 

When to use

  • Wait 1 hour before a reminder
  • Send a follow-up 1 day after a visit
  • Space out a multi-step welcome seasonal campaign

 

 

How it works

  • Set months/days/hours/minutes to delay.
  • Optional: enable timeframes so messages only resume during allowed hours.

 

 

Best practices

  • For most businesses, late morning to early evening works best for outbound messages.
  • Use with Throttle when you have multiple entry points into an automation.

 

 

Tabs in this block

Editor

This is where you configure the block. After you change settings, save the block so the automation uses the updated configuration.

Stats

Stats populate after the block runs for at least one contact. For most blocks, Stats are mainly for quick troubleshooting (example: times triggered and last completed).

Task Log

The Task Log is the best place to troubleshoot a specific run. Each row is one task (usually one contact) that passed through this block.

  • Time: when the task ran
  • Run Duration: how long it took
  • Contact: click the person icon to open the contact profile
  • View Payload: click VIEW PAYLOAD to see all data passed through the automation for that task
  • Task ID: helpful for internal debugging and support

Warnings & Errors

  • Errors must be fixed before the automation can be enabled.
  • Warnings do not always block enabling, but they usually mean something is missing or risky.
  • If you see an error or warning banner, fix it in the Editor, then re-open the block to confirm it is cleared.

 

 

Drip campaigns and best practices for the Delay block

The Delay block is what turns a single message into a drip campaign. It pauses a contact for a set amount of time (minutes/hours/days/months), then lets them continue to the next step in the automation. Use it to space out touches so your messaging feels helpful—not spammy.

Why delays matter

  • Protect deliverability + opt-in health: Back-to-back messages can trigger spam complaints and opt-outs.

  • Give people time to act: Most offers, reminders, and “next step” messages perform better with breathing room.

  • Create a journey: Delay is how you build multi-step sequences (welcome → reminder → follow-up → win-back).

Common drip patterns (simple, proven)

Use these as building blocks anywhere:

1) New contact / welcome sequence

  • Immediate: Welcome + what to do next

  • Delay 1 day → helpful tip / how it works

  • Delay 3 days → social proof or popular option

  • Delay 7 days → “need help?” check-in

2) Post-visit follow-up

  • Delay 2–4 hours → thank-you (short, personal)

  • Delay 2–3 days → review request or quick feedback

  • Delay 7–14 days → invite back with a light incentive

3) Abandoned intent / didn’t convert

  • Delay 1 day → reminder + answer common question

  • Delay 3 days → stronger CTA or alternative option

  • Delay 7 days → “last chance” / close the loop message

4) Win-back

  • Delay 14–30 days from last activity → “we miss you” + easy return path

  • Delay 7 days → final follow-up, then stop (don’t chase forever)

Timing guidelines (easy rules of thumb)

  • SMS: keep it tighter, but not frequent

    • Typical cadence: 0 → 2–3 days → 7 days

  • Email: more room for longer nurture

    • Typical cadence: 0 → 1 day → 3–5 days → weekly

If you’re ever unsure: fewer messages, better messages wins.

Use the timeframe options to avoid “bad hours”

Delays resume inside the account’s allowed timeframe (example shown: 9:00–21:00). This helps prevent messages from sending overnight.

  • Resume Anytime: use only if timing is truly urgent.

  • Enable Timeframe: best practice for most campaigns so messages land at reasonable times.

 

 

Add a Trigger + Eject If Delayed Path

Instead of putting a Filter after a long Delay, we typically handle the “did they do the thing?” question by using:

  1. A separate trigger-based automation (or a separate trigger path) that fires the moment the customer does the thing (purchase / booking / check-in / reply / membership change), and

  2. An Eject If Delayed block in the drip flow so people don’t keep getting messages after they’ve already converted.

This keeps the drip flow simple and prevents the “they bought yesterday but still got the reminder” problem.

Recommended pattern
Path A: The drip (nurture) flow

  • Trigger: Contact Created (or whatever starts the nurture)

  • Message 1

  • Delay

  • Message 2

  • Delay

  • Message 3

  • (optional) other guardrails (Throttle, etc.)

Path B: The “stop / switch” flow (conversion or response)

  • Trigger: Order Finished / Calendar Event / Check-In Finished / Message Reply / Membership Start (whatever counts as success)

  • Action: Eject from Automation (or route them into a different automation)

  • Then: tag and start the “next stage” campaign (post-purchase, reminders, onboarding, etc.)

Why this is better than “Delay → Filter”

  • Real-time reaction: they stop immediately when they convert, not after the delay finishes.

  • Cleaner logic: one automation = one job (nurture vs conversion response).

  • Fewer edge cases: you’re not relying on a filter that only evaluates after the delay window.

  • Better customer experience: no irrelevant reminders after they already took action.

Where Eject If Delayed fits

Use Eject If Delayed as a safety net so contacts don’t sit in long delays and later re-enter messaging when it’s no longer relevant. It’s especially useful when:

  • delays are 7+ days

  • your business has fast repeat actions

  • you’re running seasonal / time-sensitive offers

  • you have multiple automations that might overlap