Timer Node

Timer Node

Module ID: ion.action.timer

The Timer node pauses flow execution for a specified duration before continuing.

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Overview

Use the Timer node when you need to add delays between actions, such as waiting for external systems to process data, implementing retry backoffs, or scheduling timed sequences.

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Handles

Input

Handle	Description
input	Data to pass through after delay

Outputs

Handle	Description
output	Original data + timer metadata
error	Invalid timer configuration

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Configuration

// node.data structure
{
  minutes: number,  // 0-15
  seconds: number   // 0-59
}

Constraints

Constraint	Value
Maximum duration	15 minutes (900 seconds)
Minimum duration	0 seconds

Caution

The maximum delay is 15 minutes. For longer delays, consider using queue-based solutions or scheduling systems.

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Example Configuration

Wait 30 seconds:

{
  "minutes": 0,
  "seconds": 30
}

Wait 5 minutes:

{
  "minutes": 5,
  "seconds": 0
}

Wait 2 minutes and 30 seconds:

{
  "minutes": 2,
  "seconds": 30
}

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Output Data

After the delay completes, the output includes metadata:

{
  "duration": "2m30s",
  "completed_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

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Behavior

1. Receives input data
2. Validates timer configuration
3. Calculates total duration from minutes + seconds
4. Blocks execution for the duration
5. After delay, outputs to output handle

sequenceDiagram
  participant F as Previous Node
  participant T as Timer
  participant N as Next Node

  F->>T: Data
  Note over T: Waiting 30s...
  T->>N: Data + metadata

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Common Patterns

Retry with Backoff

[API Call] → error → [Timer: 30s] → [Retry API Call]

Rate Limiting

[Iterator] → [API Call] → [Timer: 1s] → [Continue]

Staged Processing

[Step 1] → [Timer: 5m] → [Step 2] → [Timer: 5m] → [Step 3]

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Error Cases

Error	Cause
”node data is not a map”	Configuration format invalid
”minutes must be a number”	Minutes value is not numeric
”seconds must be a number”	Seconds value is not numeric
”minutes and seconds must be non-negative”	Negative values provided
”total delay must not exceed 15 minutes”	Duration > 900 seconds

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See Also

• Iterator Node - For processing arrays
• Flow Nodes Overview