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HTTP 408 Request Timeout

The server timed out waiting for the client to finish the request. Free reference, no signup.

408 Request Timeout

MeaningThe server timed out waiting for the client to finish the request.
WhenThe body arrived too slowly or the client went idle.
CausesA slow upload, a dropped connection, or a short server timeout.
FixSend the body faster or raise the idle timeout if the upload is legitimate.
RetryRetry if the action is idempotent.
Alert?Usually no. Alert when your clients start timing out often, not on one slow request.

Runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored.

Most 408s are not an incident

Alert when your clients start timing out often, not on one slow request.

curl -sS -X POST https://api.trigv.com/v1/events \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRIGV_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"channel":"ops","title":"HTTP 408","level":"warning"}'
Get an API key All status codes

How to use it

  1. Read what 408 means before changing a retry loop.
  2. Check the common causes against the response body and the server log.
  3. Follow the retry note. Retrying a 400 with the same body will fail again.
  4. Alert only in the cases the verdict describes.

About this tool

HTTP 408 Request Timeout means The server timed out waiting for the client to finish the request. Servers send it when The body arrived too slowly or the client went idle.

Common causes: A slow upload, a dropped connection, or a short server timeout. The practical fix is: Send the body faster or raise the idle timeout if the upload is legitimate.

Retry: Retry if the action is idempotent.

Alert on it? Usually no. Alert when your clients start timing out often, not on one slow request.

Trigv is a push for the moment a status starts mattering, not a log of every response. If the code is one you should hear about, the snippet posts a single event with level error or warning. The status page itself does not call your API.

Questions

What is HTTP 408?

The server timed out waiting for the client to finish the request.

Should the client retry?

Retry if the action is idempotent.

Should I alert on it?

Usually no. Alert when your clients start timing out often, not on one slow request.

How is this different from reading the spec?

The page adds a plain retry note and an alert verdict for people running the service, not only for people parsing the response.

400 Bad Request The server could not understand the request. 401 Unauthorized The request is missing valid authentication. 403 Forbidden The server understood the request and refuses it. Cron Job Alert Script Wrap a command so a failed, slow, or finished cron job sends a Trigv alert.