> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://unkey.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# request_timeout

> The request exceeded the Unkey server timeout before processing could complete. Simplify your request, reduce payload size, or retry later.

<Danger>`err:user:bad_request:request_timeout`</Danger>

```json Example theme={"theme":"kanagawa-wave"}
{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_4dgzrNP3Je5mU1tD"
  },
  "error": {
    "detail": "Request timeout",
    "status": 408,
    "title": "Request Timeout",
    "type": "https://unkey.com/docs/errors/user/bad_request/request_timeout",
    "errors": []
  }
}
```

## What Happened?

Your request took too long to process and was automatically terminated by the server. This typically happens when:

* Database queries are running slowly
* External services are responding slowly
* The API is under heavy load
* Network connectivity issues are causing delays

## How to Fix It

### 1. Retry the Request

Most timeout errors are temporary. Simply retry your request after a short delay with exponential backoff (wait longer after each failed attempt).

### 2. Check Your Network

Slow or unstable network connections can cause timeouts:

* Test from a different network or location
* Check if you're experiencing high latency to our servers

## When This Happens Often

If you're seeing frequent timeout errors:

### Check Our Status Page

Visit [status.unkey.com](https://status.unkey.com) to see if we're experiencing any service issues.

### Contact Support

<Note>
  **Still having issues?** We're here to help!

  [Contact our support team](mailto:support@unkey.com) and include:

  * Your request IDs from the error responses
  * The approximate time the errors occurred
  * Your typical request patterns and volume

  We can investigate what might be causing the slowdowns and help optimize your integration.
</Note>

## Difference from Other Timeout Errors

* **408 Request Timeout**: The server took too long to process your request (this error)
* **499 Client Closed Request**: Your client cancelled the request before the server finished
* **504 Sentinel Timeout**: An upstream service (like a database) timed out

If you're seeing 408 errors, the issue is usually on our side or with network connectivity.