2026-01-26 · Authensor

AI Agent Timeout: Causes and Solutions

AI agent timeouts occur when an agent takes longer than expected to complete an action, usually because it is stuck waiting for a resource, caught in a retry loop, or processing an unexpectedly large payload. SafeClaw by Authensor lets you enforce execution time limits at the policy level, so agents that exceed their budget are terminated gracefully rather than left running indefinitely. This prevents cost overruns, resource exhaustion, and cascading failures.

Common Causes of AI Agent Timeouts

1. Unbounded API Calls

The agent makes repeated calls to an external API that is slow or rate-limited, and there is no cap on retries or total execution time.

2. Large File Processing

The agent attempts to read or transform a file that is far larger than expected — a multi-gigabyte log file, an entire database dump, or a deeply nested directory tree.

3. Infinite Loops in Agent Logic

The agent's reasoning leads it to repeat the same action over and over. This is especially common with autonomous agents that decide their own next step.

4. Network Latency or Downtime

An external service the agent depends on is unreachable or responding slowly, and the agent blocks waiting for a response.

5. Missing Termination Conditions

The agent's task has no defined exit criteria, so it continues working indefinitely.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Install SafeClaw

npx @authensor/safeclaw

2. Set Execution Time Limits in Your Policy

Add timeout constraints to your safeclaw.policy.yaml:

limits: max_execution_time: 120 # seconds per action max_total_time: 600 # seconds for entire session max_retries: 3 # per action retry cap

rules: - action: network.request resource: "https://api.external.com/**" effect: allow timeout: 30 # seconds reason: "External API call with strict timeout"

3. Check the Audit Log for Timeout Events

SafeClaw's hash-chained audit trail records timeout events with full context:

npx @authensor/safeclaw audit --filter "status:timeout" --last 10

Review which action timed out, how long it ran, and what resource it was accessing.

4. Identify the Root Cause

Based on the audit log:

API timeout: Increase the per-action timeout or add a circuit breaker pattern.
File too large: Add a max_file_size constraint to your policy.
Loop detected: See the related guide on agent loops.
Network issue: Check the external service status and add fallback behavior.

5. Test the Fix in Simulation Mode

npx @authensor/safeclaw --simulate

Run the same task that timed out and verify the new limits resolve the issue without blocking legitimate work.

Troubleshooting Timeout Scenarios

Agent times out reading large directories:

limits: max_file_size: 10485760 # 10 MB cap max_directory_depth: 5

rules: - action: file.read resource: "/data/**" effect: allow max_size: 10485760 reason: "Read data files up to 10 MB"

Agent times out waiting for user approval: If you use human-in-the-loop approval, set a reasonable approval timeout so the agent does not hang indefinitely:

approval:
  timeout: 300  # 5 minutes to approve or auto-deny
  default: deny

Agent times out during build/test execution: Shell commands can be slow. Set per-command timeouts:

rules:
  - action: shell.exec
    resource: "npm run build"
    effect: allow
    timeout: 180
    reason: "Build process with 3-minute cap"

Prevention Strategies

Timeouts are symptoms. The real fix is proactive policy design:

Always set max_execution_time in your policy limits.
Use SafeClaw's simulation mode to benchmark how long typical agent tasks take before setting limits.
Monitor with audit logs — SafeClaw's 446 tests ensure the audit trail captures every timeout event across both Claude and OpenAI providers.
Set retry caps to prevent agents from hammering failing endpoints.

An agent that times out is better than an agent that runs forever. SafeClaw ensures your agents fail safely, every time.

Related Resources

Try SafeClaw

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$ npx @authensor/safeclaw