> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://upstash-qstashminimalrightbar.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Delay

When publishing a message, you can delay it for a certain amount of time before
it will be delivered to your API. See the [pricing table](https://upstash.com/pricing/qstash) for more information

## Relative Delay

Delay a message by a certain amount of time relative to the time the message was
published.

The format for the duration is `<number><unit>`. Here are some examples:

* `10s` = 10 seconds
* `1m` = 1 minute
* `30m` = half an hour
* `2h` = 2 hours
* `7d` = 7 days

You can send this duration inside the `Upstash-Delay` header.

```
curl -XPOST \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer XXX' \
    -H "Content-type: application/json" \
    -H "Upstash-Delay: 1m" \
    -d '{ "hello": "world" }' \
    'https://qstash.upstash.io/v2/publish/...'
```

<Warning>
  `Upstash-Delay` will get overridden by `Upstash-Not-Before` header when both are
  used together.
</Warning>

## Absolute Delay

Delay a message until a certain time in the future. The format is a unix
timestamp in seconds, based on the UTC timezone.

You can send the timestamp inside the `Upstash-Not-Before` header.

```
curl -XPOST \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer XXX' \
    -H "Content-type: application/json" \
    -H "Upstash-Not-Before: 1657104947" \
    -d '{ "hello": "world" }' \
    'https://qstash.upstash.io/v2/publish/...'
```

<Info>
  `Upstash-Not-Before` will override the `Upstash-Delay` header when both are used
  together.
</Info>

## Delays in Schedules

Adding a delay in schedules is only possible via via `Upstash-Delay`. The
delay will affect the messages that will be created by the schedule and not the
schedule itself.

For example when you create a new schedule with a delay of `30s`, the messages
will be created when the schedule triggers but only delivered after 30 seconds.