How to Use Delay and Delay Until in Power Automate

Introduction to Delay and Delay Until

Power Automate offers several flow control actions that help manage workflow execution timing. Among the most useful are Delay and Delay Until, which allow you to pause a flow before continuing with subsequent actions.

What is the Delay Action?

The Delay action pauses a flow for a specified amount of time before continuing execution. Examples include: Wait 5 Minutes, Wait 2 Hours, Wait 1 Day, Wait 7 Days. After the configured duration has elapsed, the flow automatically resumes and executes the next action.

When to Use Delay

Use the Delay action when you need to wait for a relative period of time, such as: Sending follow-up emails after a customer inquiry, Waiting before checking approval status, Delaying notifications to avoid immediate alerts, Scheduling actions a few hours or days later.

What is Delay Until?

The Delay Until action pauses a flow until a specific date and time is reached. Examples include: Wait Until 31-Dec-2026 5:00 PM, Wait Until Contract Expiry Date, Wait Until Next Review Date. Unlike Delay, which waits for a duration, Delay Until waits until an exact timestamp.

When to Use Delay Until

Use Delay Until when your process depends on a fixed date or dynamically generated date value, such as: Contract expiration dates, Employee review schedules, Subscription renewal dates, Project milestone deadlines.

Why Use Delay and Delay Until?

Organizations use these actions to automate time-based business processes. Common scenarios include: Approval reminders, Follow-up notifications, Contract renewals, Scheduled reporting, Escalation workflows, Subscription management.

Key Benefits

Automated scheduling, Reduced manual intervention, Better workflow control, Improved user experience, Consistent process execution.

Solution Overview

Typical workflow structure: Trigger Event, Delay/Delay Until, Wait Period, Resume Flow, Execute Action, Complete Process. This pattern allows workflows to pause and continue automatically without user intervention.

Step 1: Create a Power Automate Flow

Create a cloud flow using one of the following flow types: Automated Cloud Flow, Scheduled Cloud Flow, Instant Cloud Flow. Select the appropriate trigger based on your business requirement.

Step 2: Add the Delay Action

In your flow: Select New Step, Search for Delay, Add the Delay action, Configure the following values: Count: 5, Unit: Minutes. The flow will pause for five minutes before continuing to the next action.

Step 3: Add the Delay Until Action

To wait until a specific date and time: Select New Step, Search for Delay Until, Add the action to your flow, Provide a valid date-time value.

Real-World Example: Approval Reminder System

Consider an approval workflow where managers must approve employee requests. Workflow: Approval Submitted, Delay 2 Days, Check Approval Status, If Pending, Send Reminder Email.

Using Delay with Do Until

A common Power Automate design pattern combines Delay with Do Until loops. Example: Check Ticket Status, Delay 10 Minutes, Check Again, Continue Until Resolved.

Best Practices

Benefits of Delay and Delay Until in Power Automate