How to Fix a 408 Request Timeout Error

Methods to Fix a 408 Request Timeout Error

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on February 14, 2022
Reviewed by
Jessica Kormos
Jessica Kormos
Reviewed by Jessica Kormos
  • Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

The 408 Request Timeout error is an HTTP status code that means the request you sent to the website server—e.g., a request to load a web page—took longer than the website's server was prepared to wait. In other words, your connection with the website "timed out."

The most common cause of this error is an incorrect URL. It could also be caused by a slow connection or connectivity issues.

Illustration of a frustrated person looking at a 408 Request Time-out on a computer
Lifewire / Theresa Chiechi

408 Request Timeout Errors

These error messages are often customized by each website, especially very large ones, so this error may present itself in more ways than these common ones:

  • 408: Request Timeout
  • HTTP Error 408 - Request Timeout
  • The Request Has Timed Out

The error displays inside the internet browser window, just as web pages do.

Some websites simply terminate the connection without displaying this error. So, it's possible for this error to be what should display—i.e., a timeout is the reason for the error, even if the server doesn't indicate that fact.

How to Fix the 408 Request Timeout Error

  1. Retry the web page by selecting the refresh button or trying the URL from the address bar again. Many times a slow connection causes a delay that prompts the 408 Request Timeout error, and this is often only temporary. Trying the page again will typically be successful.

    If the error appears during the checkout process at an online merchant, duplicate attempts to check out may end up creating several orders—and repeated charges! Most merchants protect against these errors, but some smaller ones may not.

  2. Your internet connection could force page-load delays. Visit another website like Google or Yahoo. If the pages load as fast as you're used to seeing them load, the problem prompting the timeout error is probably with the website.

  3. If all websites are running slow, however, your internet connection may be adversely affected. Run an internet speed test to benchmark your current bandwidth, or contact your Internet Service Provider for technical support.

  4. Come back later. This is a common error message on very popular websites when a huge increase in traffic by visitors (that's you!) is overwhelming the servers. As visitors leave the website, the chances of a successful page load for you increases.

  5. Contact the webmaster or another site contact about the error message.

    The webmaster of most websites can be reached by email if you write to webmaster@website.com, replacing website.com with the actual website name. Next, try replacing the first part with help, contact, or admin.

Errors Like 408 Request Timeout

The following messages are also client-side errors and so are somewhat related to the 408 Request Timeout error: 400 Bad Request, 401 Unauthorized, 403 Forbidden, and 404 Not Found.

Several server-side HTTP status codes occasionally pop up, including 500 Internal Server Error. See all of them in our HTTP Status Code Errors list.

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