# Delay Welcome Message

The Delay Welcome Message feature lets you schedule welcome messages to new subscribers. Messages can be sent immediately, or after a set number of hours or days.

This applies to both Welcome Email and Welcome SMS messages and works consistently for all **non-referrals**, regardless of how they join a campaign (import, form signup, or API).

### Settings

In the Welcome Email/SMS settings, select:

* **Send this email/SMS:** `[Immediately / X hours / X days]` 

<figure><img src="/files/LSQ8zOrGGrFjBv4vUIML" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="success" %}
**NOTES:**

* A subscriber’s message is canceled if they unsubscribe, are deleted, or become a referral before the scheduled send time.
* Only one scheduled Welcome Email/SMS per subscriber can exist at a time.
  {% endhint %}

### Send Timing

#### Hour-Based Delays

* **Email:** Sent at the next hour-aligned `:00` after the delay period.\
  **Example:** Subscriber added at **07:18**, 1-hour delay → Email sent at **09:00**.
* **SMS:** Sent exactly X hours after the subscriber is added.\
  **Example:** Subscriber added at **07:18**, 1-hour delay → SMS sent at **08:18**.

#### Day-Based Delays

* **Email:** Sent on the scheduled day at the next hour-aligned `:00` after the day delay.\
  **Example:** Subscriber added on **March 1 at 07:18**, 1-day delay → Email sent on **March 2 at 08:00**.
* **SMS:** Sent on the scheduled day at 9:00 AM local country time.\
  **Example:** Subscriber added on **March 1 at 07:18**, 1-day delay → SMS sent on **March 2 at 09:00** country tim&#x65;**.**

{% hint style="success" %}
**NOTE:** SMS scheduling detects **country only** (not state or city).&#x20;

For example, any U.S. number (+1) defaults to **America/New\_York (Eastern Time)**, even if the subscriber is in a different U.S. time zone.
{% endhint %}

#### Changing Send Timing

If you update the Welcome Email/SMS settings after some subscribers already have scheduled messages:

* **Existing subscribers** remain on their original schedule.
* **New subscribers** follow the updated schedule.


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