# CLI Parameter: --account-delay
Number of seconds to wait between automatic retry attempts when the Account
error class (`ErrorKind::QuotaExhausted`) triggers a retry. Has no effect when
effective retry count for Account is 0.
- **Type:** u32 (seconds)
- **Default:** `auto` (inherits from `--retry-default-delay`, Tier 3 fallback)
- **Command:** [`run`](../command/01_run.md), [`ask`](../command/05_ask.md)
- **Group:** [Runner Control](../param_group/02_runner_control.md)
```sh
clr -p "task" --retry-on-account 2 --account-delay 300 # wait 5 min between retries
clr -p "task" --retry-on-account 1 --account-delay 0 # retry immediately
CLR_ACCOUNT_DELAY=300 clr -p "task" # env-var equivalent
```
**Note:** Default is `auto` — inherits from `--retry-default-delay` (Tier 3
fallback, default 30s). `--retry-override-delay` (Tier 1) beats this value when set.
**Note:** Quota exhaustion is period-based — a longer delay (e.g. 300s) may allow
the usage period to reset before the next attempt.
**Note:** The delay is applied **between** attempts: after an Account error is
detected and before the next subprocess invocation. There is no delay before the
first attempt.
**Env var:** `CLR_ACCOUNT_DELAY` — accepts a decimal integer string (u32 seconds);
invalid values are silently ignored (parse failure → field stays at auto/unset);
CLI flag wins when both are present.
### 3-Tier Resolution
```
effective = --retry-override-delay ?? --account-delay ?? --retry-default-delay (30)
```
### Referenced Parameter Groups
| 2 | [Runner Control](../param_group/02_runner_control.md) | Full | `--dry-run`, `--verbosity`, `--trace`, ... |
### Referenced Commands
| 1 | [`run`](../command/01_run.md) | auto | Delay applied inside retry wrapper |
| 5 | [`ask`](../command/05_ask.md) | auto | Same behavior; pure alias for run |
### See Also
- [`--retry-on-account`](040_retry_on_account.md) — enables Account retry and sets max count
- [`--retry-override-delay`](055_retry_override_delay.md) — Tier 1: overrides all class-specific delays
- [`--retry-default-delay`](057_retry_default_delay.md) — Tier 3: fallback delay for unset classes