Wait a fixed time with the Delay command

Prerequisites

• Choose a reasonable duration based on the application’s observed behavior.
• Place Delay immediately after the action that creates the state to wait for.

Supported modes

• Desktop Mode — Pauses the Desktop Mode command flow.
• Browser Mode — Pauses Browser Mode without verifying that an element is ready.
• QMacro Runner — The runner waits for the duration before executing the next step.

What it does

The Delay command makes the macro wait a fixed amount of time (in milliseconds) before running the next command. It is one of the most important commands: the computer runs fast but pages/apps need time to respond.

When to use it

• After clicking a link/button, wait for the page to load (2000–3000ms).
• After opening an app, wait for the window to appear.
• Space out actions for more stability.

When not to use it

• You can wait for a concrete condition such as a web element or window.
• Response time varies enough that a fixed delay is sometimes too short and sometimes wasteful.
• You need the user to decide when to continue; use Pause instead.

Configuration steps

1. Add the Flow › Delay command right after the step that needs waiting.
2. Enter the number of milliseconds (1000ms = 1 second).
3. Save.

Every option explained

Expected result

The workflow does not execute the next command until the configured milliseconds have elapsed.

Real example

Limitations and failure cases

• Delay does not verify that a page, window, or data is ready.
• A duration that is too short can break the next step; one that is too long wastes time.
• It is not a mechanism for evading detection or bypassing service rate limits.

Tips & common mistakes

Verification details

• commands/delay.py

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