Delays

• When creating tasks, there are two different delays to add: monitor delay and task delay

Monitor Delay

• The monitor delay determines how often the monitor checks for product availability. Lower values mean the monitor will theoretically pick up products faster, but setting it too low can increase the risk of bans.

Retry Delay

• Retry delay (sometimes called task delay) is the delay a task waits before retrying after an error. Errors include anything that prevents a clean, one-shot checkout, for example:

  • Out of Stock (OOS)

  • Rate limit

  • Shape block

  • Unknown response

  In other words, task delay does nothing during a perfect checkout flow (since there are no errors to delay). But when something fails, as is often the case, the task uses the task delay value before retrying again. It also has no effect on queue entry speed on queue sites.

Both delays are required. Be careful as too low delays will result in proxy/IP bans

You can change delays at any time, including while tasks are running and mid-drop. Delay changes apply on the fly and never stop or restart your tasks. Dropping the Walmart monitor delay to 1000 right before the drop is exactly this.

Choosing the Right Delay

Default Values

• By default, Refract sets a recommended delay for each site. If you aren't sure what to use, stick with the default as it reflects the tested balance of speed and safety.

Site	Monitor Delay default	Retry Delay default	Notes
Walmart	4500	4500	Drop monitor delay to 1000 about 30 seconds before a drop
Target	3500	3500	Users experiment between 1000 and 4000
Amazon	3500	3500
Best Buy	3500	3500
Apple	3500	3500

Site-Specific Differences

• Different sites perform best with different delays. Some sites tolerate very low delays, while others ban aggressively if you go too low. Always adjust based on the site you're running, and see the site's module guide for the details.