---
title: Wait
description: Learn about the wait step for adding delays in workflows.
url: https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-content/pull/5399/explore-analyze/workflows/steps/wait
products:
  - Elastic Cloud Enterprise
  - Elastic Cloud Hosted
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless
  - Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes
  - Elastic Stack
  - Kibana
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Preview
  - Elastic Stack: Preview since 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`                               |
| `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"
```