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.
Next Select a trigger ‘When an item is created‘-SharePoint, then provide the site address and List name.
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.
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.
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.
Now click on Save and run the Flow by creating an item in the SharePoint list.
At the time when the flow is running, you can see it get paused for 1 minute.
After 1 minute you can see your Flow ran successfully.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
Now click on Save and then to run the flow create an item in the list.
Now Flow will wait until the previous date of interview date, and the below time is according to US pacific time zone.
At last, you will see the email like the below screenshot.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Now create a parallel branch to delay the flow for 1 minute, select the delay action and count is 1 and unit is Minute.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
In the below screenshot you can see the flow gets paused for 60 seconds, the responder will respond to the request.
Once the do-until condition gets true that means you responded to the Approval request, you can see that your flow ran successfully.
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.
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.
Then click on the next step, and select Get item action, then provide the site address, list name, and id.
Next, add a parallel branch action, and select send email action, then provide To subject, and body field like below.
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.
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.
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.
Then under Condition action add an action and select Terminate action, and set the status to succeed.
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)
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.
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
Then provide the credential and run the Flow, you will get an email for approval request of item.
And once the item gets responded the requestor will get an email.
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.
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.
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.
Click on Next step, select Get item action, and then provide the site address, list name, and id of Sharepoint List.
Then click on Next step and select Delay until action, in the Timestamp field add the Event date from the dynamic content.
Next step select ‘Send an Email(V2) action‘ and then provide To, Subject, and body value.
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.
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.
This is how power automates email delay works.
Related Power Automate tutorials:
- Power Automate update SharePoint list increment integer field
- How to move emails to folder after 30 days using Power Automate
- Power Automate list rows present in a table filter query
- Power Automate get events into excel
- Microsoft flow send email based on create date
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
Bhawana Rathore is a Microsoft MVP (3 times in Office Apps & Services) and a passionate SharePoint Consultant, having around 10 years of IT experience in the industry, as well as in .Net technologies. She likes to share her technical expertise in EnjoySharePoint.com and SPGuides.com
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.