Guide: Wait before the next step
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-steps/wait-before-the-next-step
Topic: Flow steps
Time: about 2 minutes
Who can do it: Owner, Administrator or Manager
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox
Result when done: A fixed or random wait before the flow goes on.
Context: Wait pauses the flow before the next step: a minute so a reply does not land instantly, an hour before a follow-up. Meta lets a page message someone for 24 hours after their last message, so a wait inside a chat is up to 23 hours, and the next step goes only if the chat is still open.

Before you start:
1. Inside a chat: 1 minute to 23 hours.
2. Before the private reply in a comment flow: up to 7 days.
3. Waits back to back that would outlive the window are refused at save.

Steps:
Step 1 of 3: Add Wait to your flow.
Where: Open the flow (Automation, then the flow's row). In the Steps panel on the left, under Decide, drag Wait onto the canvas, or select the step it should follow and click Wait. On a phone: Add step at the top left of the canvas, then Wait under Decide.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the app)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-palette.en.webp (The Steps panel: Wait, under Decide.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-palette-phone.en.webp (On a phone, Add step lists the same steps: Wait, under Decide.)
You should see: The Wait card is on the canvas and its settings panel is open (a sheet on a phone).

Step 2 of 3: Set how long.
Where: Panel, Wait for: a number and the unit (Minutes or Hours; days before the private reply). The chips above the number (1 min, 5 min, 30 min, 1 h, 6 h, 23 h) fill common values in one tap.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-node-delay.en.webp (Wait for: the number and its unit. The chips above fill in common waits.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-node-delay-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The card reads Wait and the time.

Step 3 of 3: Make it random, if you like.
Where: Panel, Random wait: switch it on and set up to. Each person waits a different time between the two values, so replies feel less like a machine.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-node-delay.en.webp (Random wait between two values.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-node-delay-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The card reads Wait and the range.

If something is off:
Problem: These waits add up to more than 24 hours
Fix: Meta closes the chat 24 hours after their last message. Shorten a wait, or put a step that waits for a tap or an answer between them.
Problem: Wait between 1 minute and 23 hours
Fix: That is the range inside a chat.

Common questions:
Question: What if the chat closed while the flow waited?
Answer: The next step goes only if the chat is still open; otherwise nothing more is sent until they write again.
Question: Does a tap reset the clock?
Answer: Yes. A step that waits for the person (a button, a question) resets it, because their tap or answer opens a new 24 hours.

Related guides:
- Split people at random: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-steps/split-people-at-random
- Ask a question and save the answer: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-steps/ask-a-question-and-save-the-answer
- The 24-hour reply window: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/messages/the-24-hour-reply-window

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-steps/wait-before-the-next-step.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt