Decreasing a Wait Step

[Anonymous]

I'm sure this has been asked and answered, but couldn't find the answer in the first 5 search results I looked at, so figured I would ask again. Many thanks to somebody with the knowledge taking the time to answer this:

What happens to leads that are in a wait step, when the wait step time is decreased?

Background: Let's say we're working on filling out the rest of a campaign and desire to keep everybody in the same campaign, as it progresses. Can we add a final wait step to put them in a holding pattern until the rest of the campaign gets flushed out? e.g. Setting the Wait time to 40 days and then decreasing it to 1 minute, once the next step is defined?

Again, thanks for answering this!!

-JR

[Devraj_Grewal · Accepted solution]

John,

If a lead enters a wait step (ex. 40 days), they will wait that entire duration unless they are removed from the flow. So if the wait step is changed to a shorter time frame (ex. 1 minute), that lead currently in the wait step will still wait the original duration (40 days), only new leads entering that step will wait the new shorter duration (1 minute). These new leads would then pass ahead of the older leads in the flow.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Devraj Grewal​!

Not quite what one would expect for the behavior -- would be great if the option was given to update anybody already in the wait step to the reduced amount.

Also tried deleting the wait step, but also in that scenario, those that were originally in the wait step, remain in the wait step, even though the step is visually gone.

Appreciate the quick response. Lesson learned.  

[Devraj_Grewal]

Right, deleting the wait step and increasing the duration of the wait step act similarly, if leads entered the original duration, they wait the original duration unless they are removed from the flow.

[Kim_Wieczner]

A follow-up question on this - what happens if a lead unsubscribes while in a wait step? Do we still have to run a remove from flow or will they be blocked from future marketing sends?

[Dan_Stevens_]

Once they unsubscribe, they will be blocked from any future marketing emails - regardless if they're in a wait step.

[Devraj_Grewal]

That's right, they will no longer receive non-operational emails. I would still remove them from the flow if you do not want unsubscribed leads to execute the same steps that marketable leads will in the flow (ex. change data value, add to list, etc.)