Use Timeframe

This is the most common option for adding delays to your automation. The Use Timeframe step holds contacts for a specified duration—anywhere from 1 hour to 120 weeks—before advancing them to the next step.

• Common Use Case: Add a delay after sending an email or SMS to give contacts time to engage with the message before checking for opens or clicks.
• Important Note: Every contact will pause for the full duration you specify. For instance, if you set the pause to 1 week, all contacts will remain in the step for exactly 1 week after reaching it.
  

Pause Until

The Pause Until option introduces flexibility by allowing delays to depend on a contact-specific date field. Instead of setting a fixed duration, you choose a date field stored in Delivra and specify how long before or after that date the contact should proceed to the next step.

• Common Use Case: Use an event date field to time follow-up messaging. For example, you can hold contacts until 2 days before their event to send a reminder, and again 1 day their event date to send a survey email.
• How It Works: Each contact moves on based on their individual date field. Some may progress immediately, while others might remain paused for weeks or months, depending on their stored date.
  

Select Day and Time

For scenarios where timing is critical, such as sending messages on specific days of the week or month, the Select Day and Time option is ideal. This feature ensures that contacts are released from the Pause block only on a chosen day and time.

• Common Use Case: Schedule emails to send on Mondays or on the 1st of every month.
• How It Works: Contacts won’t spend the same duration in this pause. Instead, all contacts waiting in the step will move forward at the set time. Using the example in the image below, contacts entering on Monday and Saturday will both be released on Sunday at 1 PM. Contacts entering after that time will wait until the next Sunday.
  

Schedule Pause

The Schedule Pause option functions similarly to Select Day and Time but is designed for rolling schedules on smaller timeframes. It allows you to set specific release times, ensuring all contacts move to the next step simultaneously.

• Common Use Case: Use Schedule Pause to ensure daily mailings are sent at a consistent time, such as 2 PM every day.
• How It Works: Unlike Select Day and Time, this step is not tied to specific days of the week or month but rather operates on a recurring schedule. This schedule could be daily, every 3 days, weekly, or any other schedule fits your needs.
  

When to Use Pause Blocks

• Post-Message Engagement: Add a delay after sending campaigns to give contacts time to engage with emails or SMS messages before checking for interactions like clicks or opens.
• Precise Scheduling: Time your messaging to coincide with key dates or optimal contact engagement periods.
• Automation Flow Management: Keep your workflows running smoothly by strategically spacing steps to avoid overwhelming contacts.

Delivra’s Pause block ensures your automations are not only functional but also strategic, enabling better timing and improved engagement with your audience.