A delay is the short space of time between text messages on the screen that will allow the user a few seconds to read the messages. When a delay has been added in between message parts, the bot user will see a "..." typing message before the next message appears in their chat.

The delay is measured in milliseconds so 1000 would be 1 second. Calculating delays doesn't have to be difficult - we recommend using 1000 for around 1.5 lines of text in your text message part. Here is an example:

However, reading speeds can differ amongst audiences, so feel free to test your reading speed before deciding on a rule to apply to your entire bot. Some bots may require longer delays i.e. bots sharing important information.

You can add up to 10000 milliseconds/10 seconds of delay in each delay message part. To add a longer delay, you can stack multiple delays in a row. Please be careful when doing this though - you do not want the user to think that the bot journey is stuck if the delay is too long. We would recommend using a button if you want the user to progress through the bot at a more leisurely speed.