Pause steps

Pause steps halt execution for extended periods (hours to weeks), persisting state and releasing resources.

Syntax

pause {
  duration: "7d",
  persist: StoreName,
  resumeOn: timeout | webhook "/path"
}

Quick reference

Option	Type	Description
duration	string/number	Required. How long to pause ("7d", "12h", 86400000)
persist	identifier	Optional. Store for pause state
resumeOn	triggers	Optional. How to resume (timeout, webhook, or both)

Duration formats

pause { duration: "7d" }      // 7 days
pause { duration: "12h" }     // 12 hours
pause { duration: "30m" }     // 30 minutes
pause { duration: "45s" }     // 45 seconds
pause { duration: 86400000 }  // milliseconds

Resume triggers

Timeout only (default)

pause { duration: "24h" }

Webhook only

pause {
  duration: "7d",
  resumeOn: webhook "/approved"
}

Both (first wins)

pause {
  duration: "7d",
  resumeOn: timeout | webhook "/approved"
}

Examples

Simple delay

action DelayedFollowUp {
  post "/emails/send" { body: { template: "welcome" } }
  pause { duration: "3d" }
  post "/emails/send" { body: { template: "follow_up" } }
}

Approval workflow

action WaitForApproval {
  post "/approvals/request" { body: { documentId: doc.id } }

  pause {
    duration: "7d",
    resumeOn: timeout | webhook "/approved"
  }

  match response {
    { approved: true } => continue
    _ => abort "Not approved"
  }
}

With persistence

mission DurableWorkflow {
  store PauseState: file("pauses")

  action WaitStep {
    pause {
      duration: "24h",
      persist: PauseState,
      resumeOn: webhook "/continue"
    }
  }

  run WaitStep
}

Comparison with wait

	pause	wait
Duration	Hours to weeks	Seconds to minutes
Resources	Released	Held
Use case	Long workflows	Async API callbacks

Use pause for long durations. Use wait for short async callbacks.

See also

• Durability overview - Full durability features guide
• Pause steps (detailed) - Complete pause documentation
• Wait steps - Short-term webhook waiting