Wait step

The Wait step pauses the run for a few seconds before the next step. Use it when another system needs a moment to catch up, such as an API that processes a request in the background before you can read the result.

Set it up

Through the API the step type is sleep. A duration over 60 waits 60 seconds, with no error.

How it behaves

• The wait counts toward the job's time limit. A whole Glue job has 270 seconds, so a few long waits add up quickly.
• For anything longer than a minute, use Schedule Later, which can pause the rest of the job for up to 30 days without holding a run open.

Example: Send a follow-up after the first request settles

Trigger: System Hook, Create Sale.

1. Script: Read the sale, which sets $.sale_body.

2. REST Request: Send the first request, POST with Body {{ sale_body }}, Response variable first_res, Fail on bad response code on.

3. Script: Read the response

   JavaScript

   var r = JSON.parse($.first_res.body);
   $.job_ref = r.id;

4. Wait: Wait 10 seconds, Wait for 10.

5. REST Request: Send the follow-up, GET https://api.example.com/jobs/{{ job_ref }}, Response variable status_res.

Tips

• Don't wait to work around rate limits in a loop. Ten passes with a 10-second wait is 100 seconds of your 270. Send fewer, bigger requests instead.
• Wait as little as you can. If the other system has a status endpoint, a short wait and a check is better than a long wait.

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