Time Delay Component

Overview

The Time Delay component allows you to pause the bot flow for a specified duration before proceeding to the next step. This is useful for creating natural conversation pacing, simulating processing time, or ensuring proper timing between operations.

When to Use Time Delay

Ideal for scenarios like: - Creating natural conversation pacing - Simulating processing time for user feedback - Ensuring proper timing between API calls - Adding delays before sending multiple messages - Creating a sense of "thinking" time for the bot

Configuration

Adding Time Delay to Your Flow

1. Click the "Time Delay" button in the component stencil
2. The component will appear in your diagram
3. Connect it between other components where you need a pause

Setting the Delay Duration

1. Select the Time Delay component in your diagram
2. Open the Inspector panel (right side)
3. Choose the delay duration:
4. 0.5 seconds - Short pause, ideal for quick acknowledgments

5. 1 second - Standard pause, good for most use cases

6. The delay is automatically applied when the bot reaches this component

How It Works

When the bot flow reaches a Time Delay component: 1. The bot pauses execution for the selected duration 2. A log entry is recorded showing the delay execution 3. After the delay completes, the bot continues to the next component

Important: The delay is synchronous - the bot will wait for the full duration before proceeding.

Common Use Cases

1. Natural Conversation Pacing

Scenario: You want to add a pause between messages to make the conversation feel more natural.

Flow:

QuestionText → Time Delay (0.5s) → Media → Time Delay (1s) → QuestionButtons

Result: - User sends a message - Bot waits 0.5 seconds - Bot sends an image - Bot waits 1 second - Bot asks for button selection

2. Processing Time Simulation

Scenario: You want users to feel like the bot is "processing" their request.

Flow:

QuestionText → Time Delay (1s) → Formula → Media (showing results)

Result: - User submits information - Bot pauses 1 second (simulating processing) - Bot calculates result - Bot displays result with an image

3. Multiple Message Spacing

Scenario: You want to send multiple messages with spacing between them.

Flow:

Media → Time Delay (0.5s) → Media → Time Delay (0.5s) → QuestionText

Result: - Bot sends first image - Bot waits 0.5 seconds - Bot sends second image - Bot waits 0.5 seconds - Bot asks a question

4. Pre-API Call Delay

Scenario: You want to add a delay before making an API call to ensure proper timing.

Flow:

QuestionText → Time Delay (0.5s) → APIRequest → Media

Result: - User submits request - Bot waits 0.5 seconds - Bot makes API call - Bot displays response

Best Practices

DO:

• Use 0.5s delays for quick acknowledgments
• Use 1s delays for processing time simulation
• Place delays between consecutive messages for better readability
• Test your flow to ensure delays feel natural

DON'T:

• Use delays longer than 1 second (not available in current version)
• Add delays before critical user interactions (can feel slow)
• Overuse delays (can make the bot feel unresponsive)
• Place delays in time-sensitive flows

Technical Details

Execution Flow

1. Bot reaches Time Delay component
2. Delay starts (0.5s or 1s)
3. Log entry: "Executing time delay of X seconds"
4. Delay completes
5. Bot continues to next component

Logging

Time Delay execution is logged in the bot execution logs:

Executing time delay of 0.5 seconds

This helps with debugging and monitoring bot performance.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Delay seems too short or too long

Solution: - For quicker pacing, use 0.5 seconds - For more noticeable pauses, use 1 second - Consider user expectations - longer delays may feel sluggish

Issue: Delay doesn't seem to execute

Solution: - Check the bot execution logs for delay entries - Verify the component is connected properly in your flow - Ensure the bot flow actually reaches the Time Delay component

Issue: Bot feels slow with delays

Solution: - Reduce the number of Time Delay components - Use shorter delays (0.5s) instead of longer ones (1s) - Consider removing delays from critical user interaction points

Need Help?

Email: contact@intalos.de

Common Questions: - Can I use delays longer than 1 second? Not in the current version - Can I add multiple delays in sequence? Yes, but be mindful of total wait time - Will delays affect bot performance? Minimal impact, delays are optimized

Last Updated: October 2025