The **Delay** step lets you add a pause before your sales agent starts talking. It is optional, but a short, natural wait can make the conversation feel less robotic to the person on the other end.

## When the delay actually runs

This trips people up, so let's be precise: the delay runs **after the prospect taps the opt-in button** in your opt-in message, not before that message goes out. The opt-in message arrives right away, they tap, the delay counts down, and then the agent begins. So the prospect always gets instant confirmation that something happened; the pause is just before the human-feeling part starts.

That is also why the example opt-in messages mention a short wait ("Wait time < 1 minute"): the message can set the expectation the delay then honors.

## Set a delay

1. On the **Delay** step, enter how long to wait, from **5 seconds** to **14 minutes 59 seconds**.
2. To skip it entirely, leave it off. The agent starts as soon as they tap.

If this initiative has no opt-in message, there is no tap to wait for, so the delay runs before the first message instead.

If you enter a value outside the range, Cloziq asks you to pick one within it.

## This delay vs. the agent's reply delay

They are two different knobs. The initiative delay shapes the **first impression**: how long after the tap the agent opens. The agent's **Reply Delay** (on its Automation tab) shapes the rest of the chat: how quickly it answers each message. Set them independently. New agents already come with a 15 second reply delay, so an initiative delay stacks on top of that for the first message.

## Waiting mid-conversation is a different thing

Neither of those pauses the agent partway through a conversation. Both are about timing, not about the prospect's answer.

If what you actually want is for the agent to **stop and stay on a question** until someone answers it, for example when they say they need to check with their partner first, that is a **Hold** flow action on the sales agent's Sales Flow tab, not a delay. A hold keeps the conversation on that step, lets the agent keep talking there, and releases when their answer changes or they say they are ready to move on. See **Building your sales flow**.

## How long should it be?

- **A few seconds to a minute** suits most cases. It softens the instant-bot feeling without losing momentum.
- **A few minutes** can suit higher-touch offers, where a considered pace fits the brand.
- Avoid the maximum on hot triggers like story replies. People are most responsive in the first minutes.

## Tips

- If you are not sure, start short. You can adjust and republish any time.
- Pair the delay with a warm opt-in message and a clear button. Timing helps, but the message does the heavy lifting. See **Writing your opt-in message**.

## Related articles

- [Writing your opt-in message](https://help.cloziq.com/hc/cloziq/articles/writing-your-opt-in-message)
- [Choosing what happens next](https://help.cloziq.com/hc/cloziq/articles/choosing-what-happens-next)
- [Build your first Initiative](https://help.cloziq.com/hc/cloziq/articles/build-your-first-initiative)
- [Building your sales flow](https://help.cloziq.com/hc/cloziq/articles/building-your-sales-flow)