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Wait Step
Also known as: Delay, Pause Step, Time Delay
A wait step is a delay in an email automation that holds the next action for a set amount of time. It keeps messages spaced out so subscribers are not hit with too much at once.
A wait step is a pause in an email workflow. It tells your system to hold the next email or action for a certain amount of time. That might be a few hours, a couple of days, or until a set date. It is the breathing room between messages so people are not flooded with email.
Wait steps control the rhythm of a sequence. They help you choose when a welcome email is followed by tips, offers, or reminders. With the right gaps, people have time to open, read, and act before the next touch. This makes your automation feel steady instead of pushy.
A simple way to start is to use shorter waits at the beginning of a journey and longer waits later on. For example, send a welcome email, wait two days, then send a getting started guide. After that, you might wait five to seven days before the next message. Review performance and adjust the timing to match how your audience behaves.
Related Terms
Email Sequence(Email Series)
An email sequence is a planned set of emails that send automatically after someone takes a specific action, like signing up or buying. It helps you guide subscribers through a simple journey without sending every email by hand.
Learn more →Marketing Automation
Marketing automation uses rules and triggers to send emails based on what people do. It saves time and keeps your messages timely and relevant.
Learn more →Send Time Optimization(STO)
A feature that chooses the best time to send each email based on when a person usually opens and clicks your messages.
Learn more →Time Zone Optimization(Time Zone Targeting)
Time zone optimization is automatic scheduling that sends each email at a normal hour in the subscriber's own time zone so messages land when they are most likely to check their inbox. It uses location or time zone data to stagger the send across regions.
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