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README.md

short_description How to delay a workflow's execution with Node.js.
thumbnail https://res.cloudinary.com/pipedreamin/image/upload/v1646841376/docs/icons/icons8-time-96_kupxpi.png

Delaying a workflow

Use $.flow.delay to delay a step in a workflow.

These docs show you how write Node.js code to handle delays. If you don't need to write code, see our built-in delay actions.

[[toc]]

Using $.flow.delay

$.flow.delay takes one argument: the number of milliseconds you'd like to pause your workflow until the next step executes. {{$site.themeConfig.DELAY_MIN_MAX_TIME}}.

Note that delays happen at the end of the step where they're called.

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // Delay a workflow for 60 seconds (60,000 ms)
    $.flow.delay(60 * 1000)

    // Delay a workflow for 15 minutes
    $.flow.delay(15 * 60 * 1000)

    // Delay a workflow based on the value of incoming event data,
    // or default to 60 seconds if that variable is undefined
    $.flow.delay(steps.trigger.event?.body?.delayMs ?? 60 * 1000)

    // Delay a workflow a random amount of time
    $.flow.delay(Math.floor(Math.random() * 1000))
  })
});

cancel_url and resume_url

Both the built-in Delay actions and $.flow.delay return a cancel_url and resume_url that lets you cancel or resume paused executions.

These URLs are specific to a single execution of your workflow. While the workflow is paused, you can load these in your browser or send an HTTP request to either:

  • Hitting the cancel_url will immediately cancel that execution
  • Hitting the resume_url will immediately resume that execution early

Since Pipedream pauses your workflow at the end of the step where you run call $.flow.delay, you can send these URLs to third party systems, via email, or anywhere else you'd like to control the execution of your workflow.

import axios from 'axios'

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    const { cancel_url, resume_url } = $.flow.delay(15 * 60 * 1000)

    // Send the URLs to a system you own
    await axios({
      method: "POST",
      url: `https://example.com`,
      data: { cancel_url, resume_url },
    });

    // Email yourself the URLs. Click on the links to cancel / resume
    $.send.email({
      subject: `Workflow execution ${steps.trigger.context.id}`,
      text: `Cancel your workflow here: ${cancel_url} . Resume early here: ${resume_url}`,
    });
  })
});

// Delay happens at the end of this step

When delays happen

Pipedream pauses your workflow at the end of the step where you call $.flow.delay. This lets you send the cancel_url and resume_url to third-party systems.

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    const { cancel_url, resume_url } = $.flow.delay(15 * 60 * 1000)
    // ... run any code you want here
  })
});

// Delay happens at the end of this step

Delays and HTTP responses

You cannot run $.respond after running $.flow.delay. Pipedream ends the original execution of the workflow when $.flow.delay is called and issues the following response to the client to indicate this state:

$.respond() not called for this invocation