408 Request Timeout

What it means

The connection was idle too long before the full request arrived.

Common causes

• A slow or unstable client connection.
• A very large upload on a slow network.

How to fix it

1. Retry the request.
2. Increase server request timeouts for large uploads if appropriate.

Example response

HTTP/1.1 408 Request Timeout
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Worked example

A client sends a request the server cannot fulfill as submitted. Check the response body and request details, correct the input or permissions, and retry only after the relevant issue is resolved.

How to read this response

1. Find the status line in your browser's Network panel, API client, or server access log.
2. Read the response body and headers shown above; headers such as Location, Allow, Retry-After, and WWW-Authenticate explain the next step.
3. Use the code's class to orient your diagnosis: informational, successful, redirected, request-related, or server-side.

How to check a status code

Enter a URL in the HTTP Status Checker to see its status code, every redirect hop, and response time. For redirect-heavy pages, the Website Speed Test shows how much time redirects add.

Frequently asked questions

What it means: HTTP 408

408 Request Timeout: The server gave up waiting for the client to finish sending the request.

Common causes: 408

A slow or unstable client connection. A very large upload on a slow network.

How to fix it: HTTP 408

Retry the request. Increase server request timeouts for large uploads if appropriate.

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