Docs
Utilities
Timer

# Timer

`utility.timer`

Start or stop a named timer to measure execution duration between points in your workflow.

Icon: `stopwatch`

## Ports

### Inlets

Input (any)

### Outlets

Output (any)

## Configuration

Field | Type | Default | Description
--- | --- | --- | ---
`mode` | dropdown | start | Whether to start or stop the timer.
`timerName` | text | Timer 1 | Name for the timer. Visible when mode is start.
`stopTimerName` | timer picker | — | Select which running timer to stop. Visible when mode is stop.

## Output Variables

Variable | Description
--- | ---
`timerName` | The name of the timer that was started or stopped.
`durationMs` | Elapsed time in milliseconds (available when mode is stop).
`durationFormatted` | Human-readable elapsed time, e.g. “1.23s” (available when mode is stop).

## Example

Place a Timer node in start mode before an API Request, and another Timer node in stop mode after it. The stop node will output `durationMs` and `durationFormatted` showing how long the API call took.

The measurement is wall-clock time from the moment the start node runs to the moment the stop node runs — everything between the two timer nodes is included. Both timer nodes show the measured duration as a badge on their canvas cards — during the run and when you select a past run from the execution history — so you can spot slow segments after the fact. Duration badges appear only on timer nodes; that's their job.

Note: manual runs animate the flow, which holds each node on screen briefly — measurements taken during an animated run include that pacing. Trigger-fired background runs measure pure execution time.