After sending a file via SFTP we're trying to watch a return directory for a file. Once this file arrives we want to trigger the next job. If nothing arrives within 12 hours of posting our file we trigger a notification.

I set a condition to "Don't Wait" if the file is present and that process works fine, it completes the necessary next task. I'm having an issue if there is an empty directory. I set the condition for "On Match None" to retry every 5 minutes and then set the flow value to "On running longer than" with a 12 hour timeout and the notification.

When I run the task with an empty folder I get an immediate error saying that there is no file to copy even though the condition says to retry. If I remove the "no file(s) copied" checkbox from the "On error" tab the job says it was successful even if there is no file.

There are many ways to solve this but you could:

1. react on the new file with any Task
2. create a Wait Task and wait for 12 hours
3. Use list files Task to check for the return file based on a date, for example start date of Job or use Variable to resolve the file creation date. If no file is found it will fail and you could use a Notification in Flow tab.

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If I set the wait task for 12 hours would the job still respond to a file being dropped during that window or would it just wait for 12 hours and then check again? Any comments about the way we're attempting to do it (listed up top) and why that wouldn't be working?