Delays and waiting for replies

Delay steps

A delay waits a set time, then continues with the next step. Set it in minutes or hours, from 1 minute to 23 hours. A message from the person does not cut a delay short. The run shows as waiting in the automation's activity, with the time it continues.

Wait for reply steps

A wait for reply step pauses the flow until the person sends a DM, then continues on its Replied connection. Steps after it can check the answer with a message text condition.

• Without a timeout

  The flow waits for a reply and has one connection. A reply only continues a run that started within the last 7 days.

• With a timeout

  Switch on Stop waiting after a while and set 1 minute to 23 hours. When nobody answers in time, the flow continues on a second No reply connection.

Why 23 hours at most

Instagram accepts automated messages only within 24 hours of the person's last message. A message whose turn comes after that is not sent, and the run ends with a note in its activity. A new message from the person opens the window again. See staying inside Instagram's messaging limits.

Examples of sequences built with these steps are on follow-ups and DM sequences.