Set a time delay before the next section unlocks. Section B becomes available a set number of calendar days after Section A is complete. This article covers when time-based unlocks make sense and how to configure them.
The setting
In the Section Builder, the Delay Before This Section Unlocks option takes a number of days. The delay starts the moment the prior section is complete.
The unit is calendar days, not business days, not hours. If Section A is complete on a Monday and Section B has a 7-day delay, Section B unlocks the following Monday.
How it behaves
Delays apply between sections in a Journey with locked section order. They don’t apply to:
- Open-order Journeys (all sections are available simultaneously by definition)
- Optional sections (no completion gate to delay against)
The delay starts at the moment the prior required section is marked complete on the learner’s profile. The clock ticks across weekends and holidays.
The learner sees the next section in a locked state with a clear indication of when it unlocks: “Available in 4 days.”
When delays make sense
Spaced repetition by design. Learning research consistently shows that spacing content over time improves retention. A delay between sections enforces the spacing.
Cohort pacing. A multi-week onboarding cohort where everyone moves at the same pace. Section 2 unlocks one week after Section 1 regardless of how fast the learner finished Section 1.
Reflection or practice time. Sections that benefit from time to apply or practice before moving on. A learner who finishes the “delegation framework” section needs time to try delegating before the “advanced delegation” section makes sense.
Avoiding cram-completion. When a Journey is gated for a deadline (e.g., end of Q2), forcing learners to take time between sections prevents them from rushing through everything in one sitting.
Compliance pacing. Annual compliance content where the regulator (or your internal policy) expects training spread over time, not consumed in a single sitting.
When NOT to use delays
Self-paced reference material. If learners are using the Journey as a reference, delays just block access.
Urgent skill-building. When a learner needs the content to do their job tomorrow, a 7-day delay is the wrong tool.
Catch-up learners. A learner who joins a cohort late should be able to catch up — but built-in delays will slow them down. Consider an Automation that adjusts delays for late starters, or skip delays for catch-up cohorts.
Single-sitting programs. If the Journey is designed to be completed in one go (e.g., a 90-minute kickoff), delays make no sense.
How delays interact with section order
Delays only apply when section order is Locked. The flow:
- Learner completes Section A (the section above the delayed section)
- Continu records the completion timestamp on the learner’s profile
- The next section’s delay timer starts counting from that timestamp
- After the delay expires, the next section unlocks for that learner
- Different learners may unlock the next section at different times depending on when they finished the prior one
Two learners who finish Section A on different days will see Section B unlock on different days. Delays are per-learner, not calendar-fixed.
How to configure
- Open the Journey in the admin
- Confirm Section Order is set to Locked Section Order (delays don’t apply in open-order Journeys)
- Open the Section Builder for the section that should have a delay
- In the Delay Before This Section Unlocks field, enter the number of calendar days
- Save the section
- Repeat for each section that needs a delay
Common patterns
Weekly cohort. Six sections, one per week. Section 1 unlocks at start. Sections 2–6 each have a 7-day delay. Learners can take longer than a week per section, but they can’t get more than a week ahead.
Practice-then-advance. A leadership program where each new skill is introduced one week, then practiced for two weeks before the next skill is unlocked. Delays of 14 days between sections.
Quarterly cadence. A long-running development program with sections that unlock every 90 days. Delays of 90 days enforce the cadence without manual scheduling.
Day-0 + Day-30 + Day-90 onboarding. Three sections, delayed by 0 / 30 / 90 days. Built-in milestones for the first 90 days of a new hire’s tenure.
What about learners who fall behind?
If a learner doesn’t complete Section A on time, Section B never unlocks for them. The delay is keyed to Section A’s completion timestamp, which doesn’t exist until they finish.
Two ways to handle this:
- Manual intervention — an admin marks the section complete on the learner’s profile, which triggers the delay timer. Used when an exception is appropriate.
- Reminder Automation — set up an Automation that reminds learners they haven’t completed Section A. Doesn’t change the delay logic, but prompts the learner to catch up.
There’s no “absolute calendar date” option in delays — they’re always relative to the prior section’s completion.
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Setting delays in an open-order Journey | Delays don’t fire because the gate doesn’t exist | Set Section Order to Locked, or remove the delays |
| Setting delays in hours, expecting them to be days | Sections unlock when not expected | Delays are always in calendar days. Use the number-of-days input. |
| Long delays without communication | Learners think the Journey is broken when Section 2 isn’t visible | Add a description note: “Section 2 unlocks 7 days after you finish Section 1” |
| Delays applied to optional sections | Delay configuration silently ignored | Optional sections don’t participate in the gating; remove the delay or change the section to required |
| Forgetting that delays are per-learner | Admin sees Section B as unlocked but a learner can’t access it | Delays count from each learner’s individual completion of the prior section |
| Stacking too many delays | Programs feel artificially slow; engagement drops | Use delays where spacing genuinely matters; don’t add them by reflex |
See Also
- Journeys v2: What’s New
- Section Order: Locked vs. Open — required reading; delays only apply in locked-order Journeys
- Automations — for setting up reminders that pair with delays