Timeout

A timeout means a checker did not receive a usable response before its waiting period ended. It describes what happened during that attempt; it does not by itself show that the domain or service is offline.

What can cause a timeout?

The request or response may have been delayed or lost, a server may be slow or unreachable from that network, or a firewall that filters network traffic or a system that limits requests may have prevented a reply. The checking service may also have a short time limit. The cause cannot usually be identified from the word “timeout” alone.

For example, a DNS check from one network may time out while another DNS lookup service returns the expected record. The first result indicates that the checker did not complete its query in time; it is not the same as a DNS answer saying the record is absent. A later attempt may succeed, though repeated attempts are not guaranteed to solve the underlying issue.

How is timeout different from SERVFAIL or no record?

SERVFAIL is a DNS response received from a server that could not complete the lookup. “No record” summarizes a response indicating that the requested data was not present. A timeout means the checker did not receive a usable response in time. These results support different conclusions and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Related terms

• SERVFAIL — an explicit DNS failure response
• No DNS record — a negative answer about a requested record
• Incomplete check result — explains uncertain checks
• Rate limit — a service may restrict repeated requests