# What is a workflow timeout? > A timeout is the longest a workflow or a single request may run before it is stopped. How n8n workflow and request timeouts stop stuck runs. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/workflow-timeout · Updated 2026-10-20 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) [n8n and automation](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#topic-n8n-and-automation) · [AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) Quick answer A timeout is the longest time a workflow, or one request inside it, is allowed to run before it is stopped and marked as failed. In n8n you can set a timeout for the whole workflow in its settings, and many nodes, such as HTTP Request, have their own timeout option for a single call. Last updated October 20, 2026 [Take the free module →](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/n8n-jump-start/7)Module 7 of the free [n8n Jump Start](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/n8n-jump-start) course, about 10 minutes. No account needed. Updated October 20, 2026 · By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) ## Why it matters for a small business Without a limit, a run that waits on a server that never answers can hang for a long time, holding up the next run and hiding the real problem. With a timeout, the run fails quickly and clearly, so your [error handling](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/error-handling) can retry it or send an alert. Timeouts also protect your plan. Hosted automation tools cap how long a run may take, and a stuck run can count against you. Setting your own, shorter limit means you hear about slow steps early, before they become missed reports. Where you'll use it: in n8n, open the workflow's **Settings** and turn on **Timeout Workflow** with a time limit. In an HTTP Request node, open **Options** and add **Timeout** in milliseconds. When a run is stopped, the Executions list shows it as failed, with the step that ran out of time. ## In a real lesson: Get Alerted When an n8n Automation Fails, and Let It Retry by Itself In the free [n8n error handling lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-error-handling-retry-on-fail-error-workflow), Maple Lane Florist's 6am workflow fails because the supplier's server is busy, and for three days nobody notices. The lesson adds an error workflow that emails the owner, Retry On Fail, and an error output so the run still finishes. A timeout on the supplier request completes that picture. If the server accepts the call but never answers, a 30-second timeout turns a silent hang into a clear failure, which the retries and the error email then handle. [Try this lesson free](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/n8n-error-handling) or [read the step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-error-handling-retry-on-fail-error-workflow). ## Common confusions ### Timeout vs rate limit A timeout is about waiting too long for an answer. A [rate limit](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/rate-limit) is about sending too many requests. ### Workflow timeout vs node timeout The workflow timeout stops the whole run. A node timeout only limits one call, and the workflow can handle the failure and carry on. ## Tips - Set request timeouts a bit above the app's normal response time, not far above. - Pair every timeout with an alert or retry, or failures go unseen. - Check slow steps in the Executions list before raising a limit. ## Related terms [Error handling](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/error-handling) · [Error workflow (Error Trigger)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/error-workflow) · [Retry On Fail](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/retry-on-fail) · [HTTP Request node](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/http-request-node) · [Exponential backoff](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/exponential-backoff) ## More n8n and automation terms [Workflow timezone](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/workflow-timezone) · [Zap (Zapier)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/zapier-zap) · [Zap history](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/zap-history) · [Action](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/action) ## Where you use it: free lessons - [Get Alerted When an n8n Automation Fails, and Let It Retry by Itself](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-error-handling-retry-on-fail-error-workflow) (n8n, 10 min) - [n8n: Call Any API with the HTTP Request Node](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-http-request-node-call-any-api) (n8n, 9 min) ## Frequently asked questions **What happens to a run that times out in n8n?** It is stopped and marked as failed. If the workflow has an error workflow set, that error workflow runs. **Can a timeout be too short?** Yes. If a normal call takes 10 seconds, a 5-second timeout fails every run. Check typical times in Executions first. [All AI glossary terms, A to Z](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) · [Free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts)