---
title: Wait
description: Learn about the wait step for adding delays in workflows.
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4572/explore-analyze/workflows/steps/wait
products:
  - Elastic Cloud Enterprise
  - Elastic Cloud Hosted
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless
  - Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes
  - Elastic Documentation
  - Elastic Stack
  - Kibana
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available since 9.4, Preview in 9.3
---

# Wait
The `wait` step pauses workflow execution for a specified duration before continuing to the next step.
Use the following parameters to configure a `wait` step:

| Parameter                                                                                                                                         | Required | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `name`                                                                                                                                            | Yes      | Unique step identifier                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `type`                                                                                                                                            | Yes      | Step type - must be `wait`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| `if` <applies-to>Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available</applies-to> <applies-to>Elastic Stack: Generally available since 9.4</applies-to> | No       | Boolean or KQL expression that determines whether the step runs. When it's false, the workflow skips the pause and continues. Refer to [Skip a single step](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4572/explore-analyze/workflows/steps/if#workflows-step-level-if) for more information. |
| `with.duration`                                                                                                                                   | Yes      | Duration to wait before continuing (for example, `"5s"`)                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |

```yaml
steps:
  - name: waitStep
    type: wait
    with:
      duration: "5s"
```


## Duration format

The supported units are:
- Weeks: `w`
- Days: `d`
- Hours: `h`
- Minutes: `m`
- Seconds: `s`
- Milliseconds: `ms`

Duration strings must follow the following format rules:
- Units must be in descending order: `1w2d3h4m5s6ms`
- Each unit can only appear once
- No spaces between number and unit
- Positive integer values only (no decimals, commas, negative values, or zero)

```yaml
duration: "1w"
duration: "2d12h"
duration: "1d"
duration: "1h30m"
duration: "1h"
duration: "5m30s"
duration: "2m"
duration: "30s"
duration: "2s500ms"
duration: "500ms"
duration: "1w3d5h20m10s"
```


## Examples

Wait for 10 seconds:
```yaml
steps:
  - name: delay
    type: wait
    with:
      duration: "10s"
```

Wait for one minute after the API call completes:
```yaml
steps:
  - name: api-call
    type: http
    on-failure:
      retry:
        max-attempts: 3
        delay: "5s"

  - name: wait-before-next
    type: wait
    with:
      duration: "1m"
```

Wait for one day:
```yaml
steps:
  - name: wait-one-day
    type: wait
    with:
      duration: "1d"
```