---
title: Setting timeouts for automatic approving in advanced workflows
---

> Agent instructions:
> **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown.
>
> - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version.
> - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt).

> **Info:** **Enterprise license required**
>
> Features described on this page require the **Kentico Xperience Enterprise** license.

Advanced workflow allows you to define a timeout, after which the system automatically shifts a page in a certain step to the next step in the workflow process.

You have two options how to define a timeout:

- Set a timeout in a step's properties
- Add a Wait step into the process

When you set a timeout for a specific step, you can ensure that pages won't stay in the particular step longer than what is necessary. If nobody shifts a page to another step before the time expires, the system shifts it automatically. If you set a timeout for a step that creates multiple branches, you can choose the branch to continue in after the timeout expires. For all steps, you can also use a special timeout branch.

The **Wait step** acts as a stand-alone approval step, with one incoming and one outgoing connection. During the time a page is in this step, users can approve or reject it as they're used to. After the specified timeout expires, the workflow process automatically continues in the next step.

## Setting a timeout in a step's properties

1. Edit () the step you want to set a timeout for.
2. Specify when you want to shift to the next step on the **Timeout settings** panel. You have two options:
   - Select **Specific interval** and specify a time interval. The time starts running when pages get approved to the step.
   - Select **Specific day** and choose the date and optionally the time when you want pages to shift to next step.
3. Select the step that you want the process to continue in after the timeout expires in the **Leave through** drop-down list. Note that besides the standard source points of the step you're editing, the drop-down list offers an extra timeout source point.
4. Click **Save** and close the properties dialog.
5. If you selected the timeout source point in the **Leave through** drop-down list, connect another step to the source point.

## Adding a wait step

1. Drag and drop the **Wait** step from the toolbar onto the grid.
2. [Connect](https://docs.kentico.com/13/configuring-xperience/configuring-the-environment-for-content-editors/configuring-workflows/designing-advanced-workflows/connecting-advanced-workflow-steps.md) the step with a step that will precede it and with a step that will follow.
3. Open the step's properties by clicking the Edit (pencil icon) button.
4. Specify when you want to shift to the next step. You have two options:
   - Select **Specific interval** and specify a time interval. The time starts running when pages get approved to the step.
   - Select **Specific day** and choose the date and optionally the time when you want pages to shift to next step.
5. Click **Save**.