Waiting step

Wait

The wait step pauses the run — for a fixed number of milliseconds, or until a condition such as a selector becoming visible or the URL matching a pattern. Prefer a condition over a fixed delay wherever possible.

In a workflow, this is a step object with "type": "wait". Steps run in order, and each step can read the outputs of the steps before it. See the full workflows reference for the 30+ step types.

Writ runs on your own accounts, with your own credentials and data, on sites you are authorized to use.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
`value`	`string`	The duration in milliseconds, or the condition target (a selector or URL pattern).
`condition`	`string`	What to wait for; a bare duration waits for time.

Example

A single wait step as it appears in a workflow's steps array:

{
  "type": "wait",
  "config": { "value": "2000" }
}

How it behaves

Waiting for a condition is more robust than a fixed timeout.
Most steps already wait for their element, so bare time waits are rarely needed.

Where it runs

The wait step executes wherever the run executes. On your local or BYO agent there is no compute charge and the agent can reach intranet-only systems; on Writ cloud the run is metered by running time (~$0.12 per browser-hour, from your plan’s included usage wallet.

Related steps

wait_for_change: Wait until watched page content changes.
wait_for_tab: Wait for a new tab to open, then switch to it.
wait_for_download: Wait for a file download to complete and capture the file.

What next

Workflows - the full step vocabulary and the workflow object.
Recorder - capture steps by clicking through a site.
Managed endpoints - turn the workflow into a REST endpoint, or an MCP tool.