Timeouts

Configure how long Pingward waits for a response before considering the test failed.

Timeout Setting

Set the maximum time (in milliseconds) to wait for a response:

Timeout	Use Case
5,000 (5s)	Fast APIs, health checks
10,000 (10s)	Standard APIs
30,000 (30s)	Slow APIs, complex operations
60,000 (60s)	Very slow operations
120,000 (120s)	Maximum allowed

What Happens on Timeout

When a request exceeds the timeout:

1. The connection is terminated
2. The test is marked as failed
3. Error category: Timeout
4. An issue is created (or updated)

Choosing a Timeout

Too Short

A timeout that's too short causes false positives:

• Normal slow responses are marked as failures
• You get alerted for non-issues
• Alert fatigue sets in

Too Long

A timeout that's too long delays detection:

• Real problems take longer to detect
• Your monitoring is less responsive
• MTTR (Mean Time to Recovery) increases

Best Practice

Set the timeout to 2-3x your expected response time:

• If your API typically responds in 200ms, use 500-1000ms
• If your API typically responds in 2s, use 5-10s

Use a Response Time assertion for stricter performance requirements.

Timeout vs Response Time Assertion

Aspect	Timeout	Response Time Assertion
Purpose	Prevent hanging requests	Catch slow responses
Failure type	Error (Timeout)	Assertion failure
Typical value	2-3x expected	Expected max

Example:

• Expected response: 200ms
• Response Time assertion: 500ms (alert if slow)
• Timeout: 10s (failsafe for hung requests)

Network Considerations

The timeout includes:

• DNS resolution
• TCP connection
• TLS handshake
• Request transmission
• Server processing
• Response transmission

If you're testing endpoints in distant regions, account for network latency.