Power Automate wait timer – How to use

In this Power Automate tutorial, we will learn how to use the wait timer in Power Automate. And also we discuss the below points:

  • Power automate wait timer
  • Power automate wait delay
  • Power automate wait until time
  • Power automate wait x seconds
  • Power automate wait until field change
  • Power automate email delay

Power automate wait timer

The Power Automate wait timer uses two actions in Schedule operation to make the flow pause for some time i.e

  • Delay
  • Delay until

Power Automate Delay: The Power Automate Delay action allows the flow to wait for a set amount of time before it moves towards the next step.

Power Automate Delay until: The Power Automate Delay until will pause or delay the Flow until the specified timestamp is over.

Power automate wait delay

Here we will see how to use delay action in Power Automate or Microsoft Flow with an example.

Now we will create a Flow, which will wait for 1 minute after the creation of the item in SharePoint and then we will retrieve that item and send an email.

Here we will use the SharePoint list called the Project management list.

power automate wait timer
power automate wait timer

Next Select a trigger ‘When an item is created‘-SharePoint, then provide the site address and List name.

Microsoft Flow wait timer
Microsoft Flow wait timer

Then click on Next step to add delay for 1 minute, so it will pause the flow for 1 minute before it goes to the next step. Select Delay action and then count 1 and unit as a minute. Here you can set your delay as per your requirement.

power automate wait delay
power automate wait delay

Now we will get the item that is newly created, so click on the Next step and then select Get item action. Then provide the site address, list name, and id.

power automate wait delay
power automate wait delay

Next, we will send an email, so click on the Next step and then select Send an Email(V2). Then Provide the To, Subject, and Body Field of sending Email.

power automate wait delay
power automate wait delay

Now click on Save and run the Flow by creating an item in the SharePoint list.

power automate wait function
power automate wait function

At the time when the flow is running, you can see it get paused for 1 minute.

power automate add wait timer
power automate add wait timer

After 1 minute you can see your Flow ran successfully.

power automate add wait timer
power automate add wait timer

This is an example of Power Automate’s wait delay.

Read Power Automate or Microsoft Flow check day of week

Power automate wait until time

Here we will see how to use Delay until in Power Automate.

We have a SharePoint list called Requirement tracker, so we will create a Flow that will wait to send an email to the interviewer a day before the interview date.

power automate wait until time
power automate wait until time

Let’s create a Flow, so select a trigger to start the flow ‘When an item is created‘ action. Then provide the site address and list name.

power automate wait until time
power automate wait until time

To get the newly created item, click on the next step and select Get item action. Then provide the site address, list name, and id, of your SharePoint list.

power automate set timer
power automate set timer

Now we will pause the flow till a day before the interview date, so click on the next step and then select Delay until action.

Then write the below expression in the Timestamp field to pause the flow until the previous day of the interview date in the SharePoint list.

addDays(outputs('Get_item')?['body/InterviewDate'],-1)
power automate add wait timer
power automate add wait timer

Next, we will send an email, so click on the Next step and then select the Send an email (V2) action, then provide the To, Subject, and Body field of the email.

power automate add wait timer
power automate add wait timer

Now click on Save and then to run the flow create an item in the list.

power automate wait until time
power automate wait until time

Now Flow will wait until the previous date of interview date, and the below time is according to US pacific time zone.

Microsoft Flow wait until time
Microsoft Flow wait until time

At last, you will see the email like the below screenshot.

Microsoft Flow wait until time
Microsoft Flow wait until time

This is an example of power automating wait until time.

Check out, Power Automate SharePoint Get Items Filter Query

Power automate wait x seconds

Here we will see how to wait or delay the Flow for x seconds in Power Automate.

We will use the recruitment tracker list, we will create a flow in which we will create an approval request, and then we will delay the flow for 1 minute, next we will send the notification to the approver every 45 seconds until the Approval status does not contain Approved.

power automate wait x seconds
power automate wait x seconds

Now create a flow with the ‘ When an item is created or modified’ trigger. Then provide the site address and list name of the SharePoint list.

power automate wait x seconds
power automate wait x seconds

In the next step, start and wait for an approval action, in Approval type select Custom Response-Wait for one approval. In the Response option item, add 2 options Approve and reject. Then set Title and Assigned to field.

power automate approval wait time
power automate approval wait time

Now to check the approval outcome and update the item Approval status, for this click on the Next step and then select condition control. Then set the outcome is equal to Approve. If the condition is true, in the IF Yes part, add an action ‘Update item‘.

In the Update item, provide the site address, list name, Title, Id, and in approval status set to select.

And if the condition is false, then if No part, add an action then select Update item action and set the Site address, list name, Title, Id, and in Approval status value set to Rejected.

power automate update item

Now create a parallel branch to delay the flow for 1 minute, select the delay action and count is 1 and unit is Minute.

power automate approval wait time
power automate approval wait time

Then we will run the flow until the Approved status does not contain pending, so click on the Next step and then select the Do until action. Next set the Approval status( outcome of Get item) does not contain Pending.

power automate delay until condition
power automate delay until condition

Inside Do until action, click on Add an action and select ‘send an email (V2)‘ action, as a reminder to approve the request. Provide the To, subject, and body field.

power automate do until delay
power automate do until delay

In the next step, we will delay the loop for 45 seconds that approver responds to the links, so Select Delay action, and set the count as 45 and unit as seconds.

power automate approval wait time
power automate approval wait time

Now we will get an item to get the current status, and we will assign the current outcome in the do until section. So click on the next step and then select, Get item action, then provide site address, list name, and id from the dynamic content.

power automate wait x seconds
power automate wait x seconds

Once the flow is ready, click on Save and run the Flow manually, creating an item in the SharePoint list. Then you will get the approval request in Teams like the below screenshot

power automate wait x seconds
power automate wait x seconds

In the below screenshot you can see the flow gets paused for 60 seconds, the responder will respond to the request.

Microsoft Flow wait  seconds
Microsoft Flow wait seconds

Once the do-until condition gets true that means you responded to the Approval request, you can see that your flow ran successfully.

power automate wait x seconds
power automate wait x seconds

This is an example of power automate wait x seconds

Read Power Automate send email to SharePoint group

Power automate wait until field change

Here we will see how Power Automate waits until field change in the SharePoint list.

I have a SharePoint list called Leave request, in this, we will use Approve column which is a choice column and the values are open, yes, and no. If it is set to yes then the approver approves the request and if it is no, it is rejected.

power automate wait until field change
power automate wait until field change

So here we will create a flow in Power Automate, which will manually be started to send an email for a selected item to the Manager, who has then checked the list item and updated the Approve field value open to yes or no.

Afterward send an email to the requestor, if it has been approved or rejected. If the Manager does not answer then a reminder should send.

In Power Automate, select the trigger ‘For a selected item’, and then provide the site address, and list name.

Microsoft Flow wait until field change
Microsoft Flow wait until field change

Then click on the next step, and select Get item action, then provide the site address, list name, and id.

Microsoft Flow wait until field change
Microsoft Flow wait until field change

Next, add a parallel branch action, and select send email action, then provide To subject, and body field like below.

power automate approval wait time
power automate approval wait time

Then click on Add an action, and select Do until action. Next inside do until action, add Get item action, then provide site address list name and id.

Now set the Do until condition set Approved does not contain Open. Then change the limit Timeout to P30D.

power automate do until delay
power automate do until delay

Under Do until action clicks on Add an action and select Get item action, then provide the site address, list name, and id of SharePoint list.

power automate wait until field change
power automate wait until field change

Click on the Next step and select the condition, then add the condition approved value-Get item 3 is equal to yes.

If the condition is true send an email(V2) your leave is approved. And if the condition is false then send an email(V2), leave the request rejected.

power automate wait until field change
power automate wait until field change

Then under Condition action add an action and select Terminate action, and set the status to succeed.

power automate wait until field change
power automate wait until field change

In the Right branch of parallel branch action, click on the Next step and then select Delay until action, in Timestamp write the below expression.

addDays(utcNow(),1)
power automate wait until time
power automate wait until time

Under Delay until action, click on the next step and select send an email (V2) action. Then provide to, subject and body field of the email.

power automate set timer
power automate set timer

Once the flow is ready, click on Save. Then go to SharePoint list and select the item (Approve status is open) then click on more icon-> Automate-> choose your flow

power automate wait until field change
power automate wait until field change

Then provide the credential and run the Flow, you will get an email for approval request of item.

power automate delay until condition
power automate delay until condition

And once the item gets responded the requestor will get an email.

power automate wait until field change
power automate wait until field change

If the Approver does not respond to the item then it will delay for one day, it will send the reminder. Here are flow runs successfully as items get responded.

power automate wait until field change
power automate wait until field change

This is an example of Power Automate waiting until field change.

Read Power Automate remove characters from a string

Power automate email delay

Here we will see how to delay the email until a specified time using power Automate.

I have an event list, and we will use the Event Date to delay the flow.

power automate email delay
power automate email delay

Now we will create a flow, which will wait to send an email until the Event date.

In Power Automate, select the For a selected item, manually trigger. Then provide the site address and list name.

power automate email delay
power automate email delay

Click on Next step, select Get item action, and then provide the site address, list name, and id of Sharepoint List.

power automate email delay
power automate email delay

Then click on Next step and select Delay until action, in the Timestamp field add the Event date from the dynamic content.

power automate email delay
power automate email delay

Next step select ‘Send an Email(V2) action‘ and then provide To, Subject, and body value.

power automate wait timer
power automate wait timer

Once the Flow is ready, click on Save. To run the Flow, go to the SharePoint list, and then select an event and then click on More icon-> Automate-> Choose the Flow.

power automate set timer
power automate set timer

Next, provide the credential, then run the flow. As today’s date is 21-12-2021 and the event is tomorrow, so it delayed the flow for tomorrow.

power automate email delay
power automate email delay

This is how power automates email delay works.

Related Power Automate tutorials:

In this Power Automate tutorial, we learned power automate wait timer. And also we discuss the below points:

  • Power automate wait timer
  • Power automate wait delay
  • Power automate wait until time
  • Power automate wait x seconds
  • Power automate wait until field change
  • Power automate email delay
  • How to get the date of the next upcoming day of the week.
    Choose a day of the week, ex: 5 for Friday, and get the date of the next Friday starting from utcnow().

    https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Automate-Cookbook/Date-of-Next-Chosen-Day-of-Week/td-p/146

    I often see requests for timing things a certain time on a certain day of the week and people respond with an expression formula for that person’s requested day of the week and only their requested day of the week. With this, we shouldn’t need to find a different formula for each day.

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